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. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  13. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. can — a tin
  6. squash — the sport
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. can — to be able to
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. rock — music
  12. chest — of your body
  13. chest — a box
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. can — a tin
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. rock — a stone
  21. pass — a permit
  22. chest — of your body
  23. branch — a division
  24. stand — to bear

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