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 124 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. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. net — for catching
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. spell — magic
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. bear — the animal
  9. spell — letters
  10. band — a ring
  11. squash — the sport
  12. spell — a short time
  13. rush — hurry
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. net — in sport
  16. net — after costs
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. band — a rubber band
  20. band — a music group
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. dip — to sink
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. bear — the animal

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