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'd like to play a game of ________________.
  2. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. drill — a practice
  3. kid — to tease
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. drill — army training
  7. board — to get on
  8. tube — the underground
  9. kid — child
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. row — a line
  12. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  13. tube — a container
  14. board — a committee
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. pop — music
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. pop — soda
  19. row — to paddle
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. squash — to crush
  23. pop — to visit
  24. drill — the tool

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