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. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. When are we going to ________________?
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. rush — hurry
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. stem — to come from
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. board — to get on
  9. court — of law
  10. board — a committee
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. court — of a king
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. squash — the sport
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. court — for sport
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. land — a country
  19. squash — to crush
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. land — ground
  22. pitch — completely
  23. land — to come down
  24. pitch — a sales talk

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