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. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. We're on a ________________ here.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  21. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. roll — on a roll
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. squash — the sport
  6. saw — the tool
  7. bark — to shout
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. squash — to crush
  10. roll — a list
  11. rush — hurry
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. wax — to grow
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. roll — a cake
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. rule — government
  21. bark — a dog's sound
  22. rule — a law
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. saw — the tool

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