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. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  16. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. bat — in an idiom
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. spell — a short time
  10. board — to get on
  11. squash — the sport
  12. spell — magic
  13. scale — in music
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. bat — for baseball
  16. bat — the animal
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. spell — letters
  19. squash — to crush
  20. fork — in a road
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. dip — to sink
  23. board — a committee
  24. temple — a place of worship

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