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. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  2. He was locked up in a ________________.
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. cell — in a prison
  3. march — the month
  4. cell — in biology
  5. wax — to grow
  6. chip — to eat
  7. swing — in golf
  8. march — music
  9. cell — a phone
  10. drill — the tool
  11. drill — a practice
  12. drill — army training
  13. swing — music
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. swing — to play on
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. chip — for betting
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. march — the month
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. squash — to crush
  23. squash — the sport
  24. chip — in a computer

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