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. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. drill — a practice
  3. rash — a series
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. drill — army training
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. rash — hasty
  10. squash — the sport
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. pass — a permit
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. squash — to crush
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. deal — to handle
  24. drill — the tool

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