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. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. track — to keep track
  4. spell — a short time
  5. kid — to tease
  6. bulb — for light
  7. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. cue — for pool
  10. kid — child
  11. spell — letters
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. spell — magic
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. track — a song
  19. bulb — for light
  20. deal — to handle
  21. cue — a hint
  22. track — a path
  23. squash — the sport
  24. cue — a signal

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