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: present · can · track · kid · squash · bear · snap · straw

  1. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. snap — to click
  4. kid — to tease
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. present — the time now
  8. present — a gift
  9. bear — the animal
  10. present — there
  11. bear — the animal
  12. kid — child
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. straw — dry grass
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. track — a song
  17. can — a tin
  18. track — a path
  19. squash — the sport
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. can — a tin
  22. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  23. track — to keep track
  24. can — to be able to

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