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. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  24. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. mark — a grade
  3. spring — the season
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. object — to protest
  6. shower — to wash
  7. squash — to crush
  8. object — an aim
  9. shower — rain
  10. object — a thing
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. squash — the sport
  14. rash — hasty
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. shower — a meteor shower
  17. mark — a trace
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. wound — an injury
  21. wound — an injury
  22. rash — a series
  23. spring — of water
  24. spring — a coil

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