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 124 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. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  2. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. squash — to crush
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. bore — to tire
  7. drill — the tool
  8. snap — to click
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. band — a music group
  11. chair — to sit on
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. bore — to drill
  17. band — a ring
  18. chair — a leader
  19. drill — a practice
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. drill — army training
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. chair — a professorship

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