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. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  2. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. game — wild animals
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. pop — to visit
  6. squash — the sport
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. fork — in a road
  9. bark — to shout
  10. bulb — for light
  11. bulb — for light
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. stand — to bear
  14. pop — music
  15. pop — soda
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. game — a match
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. squash — to crush
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. bark — of a tree

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