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. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. land — ground
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. can — a tin
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. land — a country
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. can — to be able to
  12. rush — hurry
  13. field — farmland
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. field — for sport
  16. squash — the sport
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. snap — to click
  22. land — to come down
  23. can — a tin
  24. field — a subject

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