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: rash · last · sharp · tube · march · squash · key · pound

  1. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  8. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. sharp — clever
  4. tube — a container
  5. key — for a lock
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. last — final
  8. march — the month
  9. squash — the sport
  10. pound — a weight
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. last — finally
  13. rash — a series
  14. march — the month
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. march — music
  17. rash — hasty
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. key — in music
  20. last — to go on
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. tube — the underground
  23. pound — for dogs
  24. key — the most important part

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