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: ground · chest · craft · spell · pit · squash

  1. There's no middle ________________.
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — a position
  2. spell — a short time
  3. ground — the earth
  4. craft — a skill
  5. chest — a box
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. spell — letters
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. craft — boats
  10. pit — a hole
  11. ground — crushed
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. spell — magic
  14. chest — of your body
  15. squash — the sport
  16. chest — of your body
  17. pit — in a race
  18. squash — to crush

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