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 120 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. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  24. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. pass — a permit
  4. squash — to crush
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. mine — for digging
  7. face — to confront
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. content — happy
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. staff — employees
  13. chip — to eat
  14. face — part of the head
  15. squash — the sport
  16. chip — for betting
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. face — to point toward
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. content — the amount
  23. staff — a stick
  24. staff — employees

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