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. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  21. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. fine — all right
  3. fine — high quality
  4. cue — for pool
  5. squash — the sport
  6. bat — the animal
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. bat — in an idiom
  9. rash — a series
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. cue — a signal
  12. rash — hasty
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. bat — for baseball
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. squash — to crush
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. cue — a hint
  20. pound — a weight
  21. pound — to hit hard
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. fine — a penalty

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