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 120 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. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. mug — a cup
  6. rush — hurry
  7. board — to get on
  8. net — after costs
  9. capital — a big letter
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. squash — the sport
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. net — for catching
  14. capital — money
  15. net — in sport
  16. mug — to rob
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. bore — to tire
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. bore — to drill
  21. capital — a city
  22. squash — to crush
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. board — a committee

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