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 116 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. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  8. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. present — a gift
  3. squash — to crush
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. object — to protest
  6. can — a tin
  7. field — farmland
  8. march — the month
  9. pit — in a race
  10. can — a tin
  11. club — for dancing
  12. present — there
  13. object — an aim
  14. can — to be able to
  15. field — a subject
  16. club — for golf
  17. squash — the sport
  18. march — music
  19. object — a thing
  20. club — a group
  21. march — the month
  22. pit — a hole
  23. field — for sport
  24. present — the time now

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