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. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. suit — in cards
  4. cap — a hat
  5. kid — child
  6. cap — a lid
  7. rash — a series
  8. squash — the sport
  9. season — in sport
  10. game — wild animals
  11. kid — to tease
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  14. game — a match
  15. dip — to sink
  16. suit — to fit
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. season — of the year
  19. suit — clothes
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. cap — of ice
  23. rash — hasty
  24. squash — to crush

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