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 116 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. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  2. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. drill — army training
  4. bank — of a river
  5. drill — the tool
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. bank — for money
  8. club — a group
  9. bank — for money
  10. chip — for betting
  11. file — a line of people
  12. row — to paddle
  13. chip — to eat
  14. file — a document
  15. squash — to crush
  16. club — for golf
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. pit — a hole
  19. file — a tool
  20. drill — a practice
  21. club — for dancing
  22. row — a line
  23. pit — in a race
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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