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: bound · lash · squash · shower · deal · court · stem · bear

  1. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. shower — rain
  4. bound — certain
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. deal — to handle
  7. court — for sport
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. shower — to wash
  10. bound — obliged
  11. bear — the animal
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. court — of a king
  15. squash — to crush
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. court — of law
  18. bound — tied together
  19. stem — to come from
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. bear — the animal
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. shower — a meteor shower

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