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. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. toast — a drink to someone
  3. ball — a dance
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. cap — of ice
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. ball — a great time
  8. prune — to trim
  9. chest — of your body
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. chest — a box
  13. prune — to trim
  14. content — happy
  15. content — the amount
  16. cap — a lid
  17. wake — a trail
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. toast — bread
  20. cap — a hat
  21. chest — of your body
  22. squash — the sport
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. toast — the most admired

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