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. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. bear — the animal
  3. current — of water
  4. plane — a tool
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. bulb — for light
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. land — to come down
  10. squash — the sport
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. bear — the animal
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. land — ground
  17. current — happening now
  18. bulb — for light
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. land — a country
  23. squash — to crush
  24. current — electric

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