ClueBy
TodayArchiveWord list

Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
YesNo
↻ New worksheet

Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. bore — to drill
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. fork — in a road
  6. rush — hurry
  7. pop — music
  8. field — a subject
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. prune — to trim
  12. field — for sport
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. prune — to trim
  15. squash — to crush
  16. bore — to tire
  17. pop — soda
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. squash — the sport
  22. field — farmland
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. pop — to visit

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com