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. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  20. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. wake — a trail
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. bank — for money
  5. squash — the sport
  6. pit — a hole
  7. bank — of a river
  8. squash — to crush
  9. stem — to come from
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. capital — money
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. bank — for money
  17. sharp — clever
  18. lean — thin
  19. capital — a city
  20. capital — a big letter
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. lean — to bend
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. pit — in a race

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