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 little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. rash — hasty
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. rash — a series
  6. rush — hurry
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. saw — the tool
  11. saw — the tool
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. bear — the animal
  15. squash — the sport
  16. pound — a weight
  17. squash — to crush
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. temple — a place of worship

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