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 ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  5. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  6. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. current — of water
  3. squash — to crush
  4. clip — to cut
  5. toast — the most admired
  6. toast — bread
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. ball — a dance
  10. current — happening now
  11. clip — for paper
  12. squash — the sport
  13. toast — a drink to someone
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. clip — a video
  16. rash — hasty
  17. ground — crushed
  18. current — electric
  19. rash — a series
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. ball — a great time
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. ground — a position

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