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. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. pit — in a race
  3. pop — soda
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. mug — to rob
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. pop — music
  10. chip — to eat
  11. mug — a face
  12. squash — to crush
  13. chip — for betting
  14. pop — to visit
  15. lean — to bend
  16. hand — help
  17. mug — a cup
  18. plane — a tool
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. pit — a hole
  21. squash — the sport
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. hand — in cards
  24. lean — thin

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