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 120 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. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  24. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. board — to get on
  4. squash — to crush
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. sharp — clever
  11. ground — the earth
  12. fall — to drop
  13. ground — crushed
  14. hand — help
  15. board — a committee
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. squash — the sport
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. fall — to drop
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. ground — a position
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. hand — in cards
  24. fall — the season

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