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. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. bat — for baseball
  3. rash — a series
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. rash — hasty
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. bat — the animal
  9. board — a committee
  10. board — to get on
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. squash — the sport
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. mine — belonging to me
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. mine — for digging
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. stand — to bear
  22. squash — to crush
  23. rush — hurry
  24. stand — on your feet

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