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. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  2. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. deal — to handle
  5. firm — a company
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. firm — decided
  10. content — happy
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. content — the amount
  13. squash — the sport
  14. mine — for digging
  15. firm — steady
  16. squash — to crush
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. fork — in a road
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. chip — for betting
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. chip — to eat
  24. pitcher — a jug

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