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. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  2. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. bat — for baseball
  3. squash — the sport
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. present — a gift
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. club — for golf
  9. club — a group
  10. mark — a grade
  11. perch — the fish
  12. club — for dancing
  13. bat — the animal
  14. squash — to crush
  15. present — there
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. bat — in an idiom
  19. rash — hasty
  20. mark — a trace
  21. rash — a series
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. present — the time now
  24. lie — to recline

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