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 thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  10. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  11. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. We're on a ________________ here.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. row — a quarrel
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. squash — the sport
  8. land — to come down
  9. roll — a list
  10. roll — a cake
  11. toast — a drink to someone
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. fine — all right
  14. row — a line
  15. toast — the most admired
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. land — a country
  18. row — to paddle
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. land — ground
  21. toast — bread
  22. squash — to crush
  23. roll — on a roll
  24. fine — high quality

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