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 116 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. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  24. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. squash — to crush
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. suit — in cards
  5. spring — a coil
  6. spring — of water
  7. squash — the sport
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. suit — clothes
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. rash — a series
  15. snap — to click
  16. perch — the fish
  17. fork — in a road
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. rash — hasty
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. stem — to come from
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  24. spring — the season

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