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. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  2. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. fine — all right
  6. rash — hasty
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. squash — to crush
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. bat — in an idiom
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. bulb — for light
  14. bat — the animal
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. fine — high quality
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. bulb — for light
  23. rash — a series
  24. bat — for baseball

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