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. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  4. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  20. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  23. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. mate — to breed
  3. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  4. jam — in traffic
  5. spring — a coil
  6. jam — a tight spot
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. chest — of your body
  10. mark — a grade
  11. rush — hurry
  12. mark — a trace
  13. spring — of water
  14. mate — a friend
  15. mate — a partner
  16. spring — the season
  17. chest — of your body
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. kid — child
  20. jam — to spread on bread
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. kid — to tease
  23. chest — a box
  24. squash — the sport

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