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 116 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. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. chip — for betting
  3. firm — steady
  4. squash — the sport
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. cap — of ice
  7. saw — the tool
  8. firm — decided
  9. cap — a hat
  10. press — newspapers
  11. chip — to eat
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. press — a publisher
  14. squash — to crush
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. saw — the tool
  19. firm — a company
  20. press — to push
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. cap — a lid
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. wave — with your hand

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