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. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  2. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  12. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  22. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. degree — from a university
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  5. squash — to crush
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. degree — temperature
  12. row — a line
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. row — to paddle
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. kid — to tease
  18. squash — the sport
  19. kid — child
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. degree — an amount
  22. row — a quarrel
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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