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. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. stem — to come from
  4. charge — a price
  5. squash — to crush
  6. swing — in golf
  7. drill — the tool
  8. board — to get on
  9. land — a country
  10. swing — music
  11. squash — the sport
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. charge — in control
  14. land — to come down
  15. board — a committee
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. charge — electricity
  18. swing — to play on
  19. drill — army training
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. land — ground

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