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. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. We had a fire ________________ at school today.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. squash — to crush
  3. lean — thin
  4. stem — to come from
  5. squash — the sport
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. season — in sport
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. season — of the year
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. drill — army training
  15. lean — to bend
  16. net — after costs
  17. rush — hurry
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. net — for catching
  20. pitch — completely
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. net — in sport
  24. drill — a practice

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