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. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. False peace will not ________________.
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  20. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. stock — goods
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. wind — moving air
  7. last — finally
  8. last — final
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. last — to go on
  11. object — a thing
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. squash — the sport
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. wind — moving air
  20. wind — to turn a key
  21. object — an aim
  22. stock — shares
  23. object — to protest
  24. safe — out of danger

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