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 120 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. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. spring — a coil
  3. spring — the season
  4. squash — the sport
  5. suit — clothes
  6. race — humankind
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. suit — in cards
  9. rock — a stone
  10. suit — to fit
  11. race — a contest
  12. game — wild animals
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. row — to paddle
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. row — a line
  20. race — the arms race
  21. rock — music
  22. spring — of water
  23. game — a match
  24. ruler — for measuring

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