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. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. saw — the tool
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. row — to paddle
  6. current — of water
  7. current — happening now
  8. shower — to wash
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. squash — the sport
  11. current — electric
  12. chair — to sit on
  13. spring — the season
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. row — a line
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. spring — a coil
  19. saw — the tool
  20. shower — rain
  21. chair — a leader
  22. spring — of water
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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