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. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  2. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  19. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  20. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. squash — the sport
  4. squash — to crush
  5. wind — to turn a key
  6. net — in sport
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. snap — to click
  10. toast — bread
  11. net — after costs
  12. wind — moving air
  13. wind — moving air
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. club — a group
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. toast — the most admired
  20. toast — a drink to someone
  21. club — for dancing
  22. club — for golf
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  24. net — for catching

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