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. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. can — a tin
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. wound — an injury
  5. degree — from a university
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. degree — an amount
  8. vault — a safe
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. can — a tin
  11. can — to be able to
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. squash — the sport
  14. pound — for dogs
  15. snap — to click
  16. degree — temperature
  17. spell — magic
  18. wound — past of 'wind'
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. pound — a weight
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. wound — an injury
  23. spell — letters
  24. spell — a short time

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