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: mug · rush · land · chair · content · squash · trunk · saw

  1. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  24. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. land — a country
  3. squash — to crush
  4. mug — a cup
  5. chair — a leader
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. land — ground
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. content — the amount
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. rush — hurry
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. land — to come down
  18. saw — the tool
  19. content — happy
  20. squash — the sport
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. saw — the tool
  23. mug — to rob
  24. content — videos and posts

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