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. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. The water is too ________________.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  16. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  21. We're on a ________________ here.
  22. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  23. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. cold — an illness
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. cold — not warm
  5. mug — to rob
  6. squash — to crush
  7. tear — to rip
  8. squash — the sport
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. rock — a stone
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. last — to go on
  14. last — final
  15. cold — the Cold War
  16. roll — a cake
  17. rock — music
  18. mug — a cup
  19. last — finally
  20. tear — from crying
  21. roll — on a roll
  22. tear — from crying
  23. roll — a list
  24. mug — a face

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