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. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. We're on a ________________ here.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  20. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. squash — to crush
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. key — for a lock
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. roll — on a roll
  8. rush — hurry
  9. key — the most important part
  10. degree — an amount
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. can — a tin
  14. degree — from a university
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. key — in music
  17. fork — in a road
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. degree — temperature
  20. roll — a list
  21. squash — the sport
  22. can — to be able to
  23. can — a tin
  24. roll — a cake

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