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. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  15. The water is too ________________.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. We're on a ________________ here.
  22. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. deal — to handle
  3. can — a tin
  4. mate — to breed
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. squash — the sport
  7. squash — to crush
  8. spell — magic
  9. chip — to eat
  10. mate — a friend
  11. spell — a short time
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. mate — a partner
  14. cold — an illness
  15. cold — not warm
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. chip — for betting
  18. spell — letters
  19. roll — a list
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. roll — on a roll
  22. roll — a cake
  23. can — to be able to
  24. cold — the Cold War

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