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 120 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. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. False peace will not ________________.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. mug — a face
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. swing — in golf
  6. mug — a cup
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. mug — to rob
  9. bear — the animal
  10. last — to go on
  11. stem — to come from
  12. game — a match
  13. game — wild animals
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. swing — music
  16. squash — the sport
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. bear — the animal
  19. swing — to play on
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. last — finally
  23. last — final
  24. stem — a stem cell

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