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. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  7. He was locked up in a ________________.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. march — the month
  4. charge — a price
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. cell — in biology
  7. cell — in a prison
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. squash — to crush
  10. charge — in control
  11. squash — the sport
  12. march — the month
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. cell — a phone
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. foot — the bottom
  20. charge — electricity
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. march — music
  23. foot — a measure
  24. rock — music

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