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. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  2. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. march — the month
  3. tube — a container
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. tube — the underground
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. perch — the fish
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. wound — past of 'wind'
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. wound — an injury
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. march — the month
  20. march — music
  21. squash — the sport
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. squash — to crush

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