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 116 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. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. clip — for paper
  3. squash — to crush
  4. mug — to rob
  5. mug — a cup
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. clip — a video
  8. squash — the sport
  9. season — of the year
  10. ball — a great time
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. season — in sport
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. game — wild animals
  17. fine — all right
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. fine — high quality
  20. ball — a dance
  21. clip — to cut
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. game — a match
  24. mug — a face

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