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: rest · prune · wave · content · squash · pass · race · wound

  1. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. race — the arms race
  7. prune — to trim
  8. wound — an injury
  9. content — happy
  10. prune — to trim
  11. content — videos and posts
  12. pass — a permit
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. race — a contest
  15. rest — a break
  16. wound — an injury
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. content — the amount
  19. rest — what's left
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. squash — the sport
  22. race — humankind
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. rest — what's left

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