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. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  2. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  3. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  13. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. toast — the most admired
  3. wound — an injury
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. toast — bread
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. tube — the underground
  10. wound — an injury
  11. pop — to visit
  12. wound — past of 'wind'
  13. toast — a drink to someone
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. bound — obliged
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. tube — a container
  18. bound — tied together
  19. pop — music
  20. pitch — completely
  21. squash — to crush
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. bound — certain
  24. pop — soda

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