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. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  19. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  20. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. can — a tin
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. can — a tin
  7. wind — to turn a key
  8. band — a ring
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. rest — what's left
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. rest — a break
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. squash — the sport
  16. band — a music group
  17. wind — moving air
  18. file — a tool
  19. file — a document
  20. wind — moving air
  21. rest — what's left
  22. file — a line of people
  23. can — to be able to
  24. lash — to lash out

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