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: mine · can · kick · squash · dip · row · land · saw

  1. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. saw — the tool
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. land — ground
  5. land — to come down
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. row — a quarrel
  10. kick — in football
  11. mine — for digging
  12. squash — to crush
  13. can — to be able to
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. row — to paddle
  16. saw — the tool
  17. squash — the sport
  18. row — a line
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. dip — to sink
  22. can — a tin
  23. land — a country
  24. kick — a thrill

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