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 116 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. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  7. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. key — the most important part
  3. key — for a lock
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. bat — for baseball
  7. bat — in an idiom
  8. key — in music
  9. current — of water
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. rock — music
  12. prune — to trim
  13. bear — the animal
  14. tube — a container
  15. prune — to trim
  16. rock — a stone
  17. tube — the underground
  18. bat — the animal
  19. squash — the sport
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. current — happening now
  22. bear — the animal
  23. current — electric
  24. bear — to put up with

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