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: lean · date · straw · squash · pound · fan · pass · land

  1. Have you settled on a ________________?
  2. When are we going to ________________?
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. land — to come down
  3. squash — to crush
  4. land — a country
  5. pound — a weight
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. pass — a permit
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. lean — to bend
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. lean — thin
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. squash — the sport
  22. land — ground
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. date — the fruit

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