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. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. pitch — completely
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. squash — to crush
  5. jam — a tight spot
  6. lie — to recline
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. jam — to spread on bread
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. game — a match
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. game — wild animals
  16. bore — to drill
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. stem — to come from
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. jam — in traffic
  23. bore — to tire
  24. sharp — clever

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