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 120 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. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. fork — in a road
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. squash — to crush
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. wound — an injury
  9. cap — a hat
  10. wound — an injury
  11. content — the amount
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. bore — to drill
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. cap — a lid
  19. cap — of ice
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. bore — to tire
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. content — happy

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