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. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  2. When was this ________________ built?
  3. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  14. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. The water is too ________________.
  23. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  24. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. cold — an illness
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. season — in sport
  8. season — of the year
  9. tube — a container
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. squash — the sport
  12. squash — to crush
  13. shower — rain
  14. cold — the Cold War
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. tube — the underground
  19. shower — a meteor shower
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. cold — not warm
  23. shower — to wash
  24. temple — a place of worship

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