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. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. charge — electricity
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. charge — in control
  5. file — a tool
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. file — a line of people
  10. charge — a price
  11. rash — a series
  12. rash — hasty
  13. fork — in a road
  14. squash — the sport
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. ball — a dance
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. file — a document
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. squash — to crush
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. ball — a great time
  24. rash — on the skin

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