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. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  24. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. squash — to crush
  5. squash — the sport
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. kick — in football
  8. deal — to handle
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. land — ground
  11. swing — music
  12. foot — a measure
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. bound — certain
  16. bound — tied together
  17. land — a country
  18. bound — obliged
  19. swing — to play on
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. swing — in golf
  22. land — to come down
  23. straw — a straw man
  24. straw — to clutch at straws

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