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. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  18. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. squash — the sport
  3. squash — to crush
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. rule — a law
  6. rule — government
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. swing — music
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. field — for sport
  12. tube — a container
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. pass — a permit
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. field — a subject
  18. field — farmland
  19. tube — the underground
  20. swing — in golf
  21. wound — an injury
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. swing — to play on
  24. wound — an injury

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