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. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. rest — a break
  3. mug — a face
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. spell — a short time
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. squash — to crush
  8. squash — the sport
  9. spell — letters
  10. game — wild animals
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. chip — for betting
  13. spell — magic
  14. mug — a cup
  15. game — a match
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. rest — what's left
  19. rest — what's left
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. rash — a series
  22. kick — in football
  23. chip — to eat
  24. rash — hasty

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