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'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  24. When are we going to ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. land — ground
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. squash — to crush
  5. fall — the season
  6. bass — the fish
  7. fall — to drop
  8. land — a country
  9. toast — the most admired
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. squash — the sport
  12. fork — in a road
  13. bass — low music
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. rule — government
  16. toast — bread
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. rule — a law
  20. fall — to drop
  21. band — a music group
  22. band — a ring
  23. toast — a drink to someone
  24. land — to come down

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