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 president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. squash — the sport
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. row — a line
  6. rash — hasty
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. wax — to grow
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. rock — music
  13. row — to paddle
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. rock — a stone
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. rash — a series
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. wax — for sculpting

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