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. David sat on the ________________.
  2. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — to play on
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. squash — the sport
  4. lean — to bend
  5. squash — to crush
  6. charge — a price
  7. sharp — clever
  8. fall — the season
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. fall — to drop
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. tube — the underground
  13. fall — to drop
  14. pit — a hole
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. charge — in control
  18. charge — electricity
  19. swing — music
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. lean — thin
  22. pit — in a race
  23. swing — in golf
  24. tube — a container

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