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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: capital · snap · race · squash · bear · wave

  1. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  7. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. squash — to crush
  4. squash — the sport
  5. bear — the animal
  6. race — the arms race
  7. capital — a big letter
  8. snap — to click
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. capital — a city
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. race — a contest
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. capital — money
  15. bear — the animal
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. race — humankind

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