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. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. game — wild animals
  3. squash — the sport
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. hand — help
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. stand — to bear
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. squash — to crush
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. game — a match
  17. mate — to breed
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. mate — a friend
  20. mine — for digging
  21. hand — in cards
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. bay — a horse colour
  24. mate — a partner

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