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 116 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. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. scale — size or range
  3. last — finally
  4. fall — to drop
  5. squash — the sport
  6. fall — to drop
  7. last — final
  8. squash — to crush
  9. tube — a container
  10. scale — in music
  11. last — to go on
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. board — to get on
  15. hand — help
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. hand — in cards
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. sharp — clever
  21. tube — the underground
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. fall — the season
  24. board — a committee

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