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: squash · chair · wake · cap · tube · dip · pop · stock

  1. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. stock — shares
  3. stock — goods
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. pop — to visit
  6. squash — to crush
  7. squash — the sport
  8. dip — to sink
  9. chair — to sit on
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. cap — a lid
  12. tube — the underground
  13. cap — of ice
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. cap — a hat
  16. pop — music
  17. tube — a container
  18. chair — a leader
  19. wake — a trail
  20. pop — soda
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. dip — to dunk

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