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. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  2. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. Have you settled on a ________________?
  18. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. firm — decided
  3. pound — a weight
  4. squash — to crush
  5. firm — steady
  6. cap — of ice
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. perch — the fish
  10. sharp — clever
  11. cap — a hat
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. squash — the sport
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. cap — a lid
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. date — the fruit
  19. firm — a company
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. pound — to hit hard
  24. cabinet — ministers

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