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. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. He is an ace ________________.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. rush — hurry
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. bore — to tire
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. bore — to drill
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. squash — the sport
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. scale — in music
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. scale — size or range
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. lash — to lash out

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