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. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. drill — army training
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. drill — a practice
  6. pit — a hole
  7. drill — the tool
  8. firm — a company
  9. pit — in a race
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. bat — the animal
  13. firm — decided
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. bat — in an idiom
  16. branch — a division
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. bat — for baseball
  19. squash — the sport
  20. rush — hurry
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. squash — to crush
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. branch — of a bank

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