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. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a dish
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. squash — the sport
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. fine — all right
  9. mark — a grade
  10. fine — high quality
  11. squash — to crush
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. chair — a leader
  15. chair — a professorship
  16. row — a line
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. mark — a trace
  22. season — of the year
  23. season — in sport
  24. row — to paddle

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