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. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. squash — the sport
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. last — final
  5. file — a tool
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. last — finally
  8. lean — thin
  9. last — to go on
  10. stock — goods
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. chip — to eat
  13. chip — for betting
  14. lean — to bend
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. bulb — for light
  19. file — a line of people
  20. stock — shares
  21. vault — a safe
  22. bulb — for light
  23. file — a document
  24. stock — a soup base

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