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: key · squash · race · plane · bore · present · lean · net

  1. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. squash — the sport
  3. net — in sport
  4. net — for catching
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. race — a contest
  9. present — there
  10. race — the arms race
  11. lean — thin
  12. key — for a lock
  13. key — in music
  14. lean — to bend
  15. plane — a tool
  16. bore — to drill
  17. race — humankind
  18. key — the most important part
  19. net — after costs
  20. bore — to tire
  21. present — a gift
  22. present — the time now
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. bore — gave birth

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