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 120 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. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  20. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. fine — all right
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. field — farmland
  5. fine — high quality
  6. squash — to crush
  7. object — a thing
  8. march — music
  9. field — for sport
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. march — the month
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. firm — steady
  16. object — an aim
  17. squash — the sport
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. march — the month
  20. field — a subject
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. object — to protest
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. firm — a company

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