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. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. club — for golf
  4. spring — the season
  5. lie — to recline
  6. stand — to bear
  7. wound — an injury
  8. squash — the sport
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. stock — shares
  11. wound — past of 'wind'
  12. spring — a coil
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. club — for dancing
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. wound — an injury
  17. squash — to crush
  18. spring — of water
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. stock — goods
  21. club — a group
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. lie — an untruth

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