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. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. The water is too ________________.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  15. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. current — of water
  4. can — a tin
  5. board — a committee
  6. board — to get on
  7. saw — the tool
  8. can — a tin
  9. squash — the sport
  10. can — to be able to
  11. cold — not warm
  12. rest — a break
  13. saw — the tool
  14. cold — the Cold War
  15. cold — an illness
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. squash — to crush
  18. rest — what's left
  19. current — electric
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. current — happening now
  24. rest — what's left

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