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. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. row — to paddle
  3. fine — high quality
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. stand — to bear
  7. mug — a cup
  8. mug — a face
  9. squash — to crush
  10. file — a line of people
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. row — a line
  13. fine — all right
  14. file — a tool
  15. net — in sport
  16. net — after costs
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. squash — the sport
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. file — a document
  24. net — for catching

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