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 116 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 met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. She's sitting on a gold ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. rush — hurry
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. saw — the tool
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. squash — the sport
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. last — to go on
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. last — finally
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. last — final
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. sharp — clever
  19. saw — the tool
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. squash — to crush
  24. mine — for digging

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