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. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. rash — a series
  4. squash — the sport
  5. key — the most important part
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. craft — a skill
  8. key — in music
  9. last — final
  10. saw — the tool
  11. last — to go on
  12. rash — hasty
  13. saw — the tool
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. key — for a lock
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. last — finally
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. squash — to crush
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. craft — boats

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