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. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. bank — for money
  3. ground — the earth
  4. march — the month
  5. bank — of a river
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. hand — help
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. bank — for money
  11. squash — to crush
  12. staff — a stick
  13. staff — employees
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. hand — in cards
  16. ground — a position
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. ground — crushed
  19. march — the month
  20. squash — the sport
  21. march — music
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. staff — employees

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