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. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  8. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. rule — government
  3. current — of water
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. current — electric
  6. stem — to come from
  7. bat — the animal
  8. bat — in an idiom
  9. row — to paddle
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. fork — in a road
  12. rule — a law
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. row — a line
  19. bat — for baseball
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. current — happening now
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. squash — the sport
  24. bowl — a football final

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