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: tear · rush · bank · squash · mate · sharp · mug · charge

  1. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. rush — hurry
  3. squash — to crush
  4. mug — to rob
  5. charge — electricity
  6. bank — for money
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. bank — for money
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. tear — from crying
  12. mate — a partner
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. charge — in control
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. bank — of a river
  17. mate — to breed
  18. tear — from crying
  19. mug — a cup
  20. charge — a price
  21. sharp — clever
  22. mate — a friend
  23. tear — to rip
  24. mug — a face

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