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 players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. suit — to fit
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. pitch — completely
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. game — a match
  8. suit — in cards
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. squash — to crush
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. game — wild animals
  14. straw — dry grass
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. squash — the sport
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. suit — clothes
  22. wax — to grow
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. straw — a straw man

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