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'd like to play a game of ________________.
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. prune — to trim
  4. object — an aim
  5. swing — to play on
  6. ground — the earth
  7. swing — in golf
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. shower — to wash
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. swing — music
  13. shower — a meteor shower
  14. object — to protest
  15. prune — to trim
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. squash — to crush
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. shower — rain
  20. object — a thing
  21. ground — a position
  22. ground — crushed
  23. bear — the animal
  24. bear — the animal

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