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. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. bat — the animal
  4. squash — the sport
  5. bat — in an idiom
  6. land — to come down
  7. bound — obliged
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. land — ground
  10. bound — tied together
  11. fine — all right
  12. squash — to crush
  13. lean — thin
  14. swing — in golf
  15. bat — for baseball
  16. swing — to play on
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. fine — high quality
  19. bound — certain
  20. swing — music
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. lean — to bend
  24. land — a country

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