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 120 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: wind · pound · charge · rush · saw · bowl · coach · squash

  1. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. rush — hurry
  4. wind — moving air
  5. saw — the tool
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. squash — the sport
  12. charge — a price
  13. charge — electricity
  14. wind — to turn a key
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. saw — the tool
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. wind — moving air
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. pound — a weight
  21. squash — to crush
  22. pound — to hit hard
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. rush — to hurry

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