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: squash · roll · patient · club · wind · ground · date · rule

  1. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  8. Have you settled on a ________________?
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. We're on a ________________ here.
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  24. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. wind — moving air
  3. squash — the sport
  4. ground — a position
  5. club — a group
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. wind — moving air
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. date — the fruit
  11. club — for dancing
  12. roll — on a roll
  13. ground — crushed
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. club — for golf
  17. rule — a law
  18. squash — to crush
  19. rule — government
  20. roll — a list
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. roll — a cake
  24. wind — to turn a key

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