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. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  12. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. He's taking a ________________ right now.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a dish
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. squash — to crush
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. squash — the sport
  6. saw — the tool
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. pit — in a race
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. pit — a hole
  11. shower — a meteor shower
  12. shower — rain
  13. current — of water
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. current — electric
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. saw — the tool
  23. current — happening now
  24. shower — to wash

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