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. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. False peace will not ________________.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. When was this ________________ built?
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. pop — soda
  3. last — finally
  4. key — the most important part
  5. snap — to click
  6. squash — the sport
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. pit — in a race
  9. pop — to visit
  10. pit — a hole
  11. season — in sport
  12. squash — to crush
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. season — of the year
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. pop — music
  18. key — for a lock
  19. last — to go on
  20. key — in music
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. last — final

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