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. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. When are we going to ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. rest — what's left
  4. chair — a professorship
  5. rest — what's left
  6. squash — the sport
  7. land — a country
  8. object — an aim
  9. object — to protest
  10. chair — a leader
  11. rash — a series
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. rest — a break
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. rash — hasty
  16. spell — magic
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. spell — letters
  20. squash — to crush
  21. chair — to sit on
  22. spell — a short time
  23. land — ground
  24. land — to come down

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