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: row · chair · tube · squash · bore · stick · bass · bat

  1. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  15. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  23. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. bat — the animal
  4. tube — a container
  5. bat — in an idiom
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. squash — to crush
  9. bore — to tire
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. bore — to drill
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. tube — the underground
  14. bat — for baseball
  15. chair — a professorship
  16. bass — low music
  17. squash — the sport
  18. chair — to sit on
  19. chair — a leader
  20. row — a line
  21. bass — the fish
  22. row — to paddle
  23. row — a quarrel
  24. bore — gave birth

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