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. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. squash — the sport
  3. spell — magic
  4. mug — a face
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. spell — a short time
  11. squash — to crush
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. mug — a cup
  14. stand — to bear
  15. spell — letters
  16. mug — to rob
  17. rush — hurry
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. wake — a trail
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. kick — in football

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