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. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. drill — a practice
  4. bore — to drill
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. scale — size or range
  7. net — after costs
  8. squash — the sport
  9. scale — in music
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. row — to paddle
  13. drill — army training
  14. chip — for betting
  15. net — for catching
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. drill — the tool
  18. chip — to eat
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. bore — to tire
  21. row — a line
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. net — in sport
  24. squash — the vegetable

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