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. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  3. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. The water is too ________________.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. cold — the Cold War
  3. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. cold — not warm
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. stock — goods
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. stock — shares
  11. kid — to tease
  12. season — of the year
  13. kid — child
  14. squash — the sport
  15. season — in sport
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. squash — to crush
  18. rash — a series
  19. rash — hasty
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. vault — a safe
  23. cold — an illness
  24. rash — on the skin

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