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'd like to play a game of ________________.
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. False peace will not ________________.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. squash — to crush
  3. band — a ring
  4. bass — low music
  5. rash — a series
  6. ball — a dance
  7. band — a music group
  8. bass — the fish
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. rash — hasty
  11. last — finally
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. pitch — completely
  14. last — to go on
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. ball — a great time
  17. pit — in a race
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. band — a rubber band
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. pit — a hole
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. last — final

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