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. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. file — a document
  4. field — farmland
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. hand — in cards
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. perch — the fish
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. file — a tool
  12. field — for sport
  13. chair — a leader
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. hand — help
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. file — a line of people
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. field — a subject
  23. squash — the sport
  24. mouse — the animal

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