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. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. season — of the year
  3. cue — a signal
  4. squash — to crush
  5. wound — an injury
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. pop — music
  8. cue — a hint
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. pop — to visit
  12. pound — a weight
  13. mine — for digging
  14. mine — belonging to me
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. season — in sport
  19. pop — soda
  20. wound — past of 'wind'
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. squash — the sport
  23. cue — for pool
  24. wound — an injury

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