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 116 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: mug · tube · capital · deal · spell · squash · fine · straw

  1. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  9. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. spell — magic
  3. tube — a container
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. fine — high quality
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. tube — the underground
  8. capital — a city
  9. capital — a big letter
  10. spell — a short time
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. capital — money
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. mug — a face
  18. deal — to handle
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. fine — all right
  21. mug — to rob
  22. squash — the sport
  23. spell — letters
  24. squash — to crush

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