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 president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. chip — to eat
  6. net — in sport
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. net — after costs
  9. rash — hasty
  10. chip — for betting
  11. last — final
  12. squash — the sport
  13. spring — of water
  14. spring — a coil
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. sharp — clever
  17. rash — a series
  18. last — finally
  19. spring — the season
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. net — for catching
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. last — to go on
  24. bowl — a football final

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