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. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. squash — to crush
  5. board — to get on
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. toast — a drink to someone
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. tube — the underground
  10. wind — to turn a key
  11. tube — a container
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. toast — the most admired
  14. game — wild animals
  15. game — a match
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. wind — moving air
  18. board — a committee
  19. toast — bread
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. squash — the sport
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. wind — moving air

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