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. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — crushed
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. game — wild animals
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. game — a match
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. plane — a tool
  9. wake — a trail
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. mine — for digging
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. squash — the sport
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. squash — to crush
  19. ground — a position
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. ground — the earth
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. lash — to lash out

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