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 ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. net — in sport
  3. rest — a break
  4. snap — to click
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. net — for catching
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. craft — boats
  12. kick — in football
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. net — after costs
  17. squash — the sport
  18. craft — a skill
  19. rest — what's left
  20. squash — to crush
  21. hand — in cards
  22. rest — what's left
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. hand — help

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