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: chip · drill · game · squash · fan · rock · bark · present

  1. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. present — the time now
  4. rock — a stone
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. drill — army training
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. squash — the sport
  10. present — there
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. chip — for betting
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. rock — music
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. drill — the tool
  18. drill — a practice
  19. game — a match
  20. chip — to eat
  21. present — a gift
  22. bark — to shout
  23. game — wild animals
  24. bark — of a tree

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