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 · deal · kick · straw · tear · rush · can · content

  1. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  5. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. kick — in football
  3. squash — the sport
  4. tear — from crying
  5. tear — to rip
  6. can — a tin
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. rush — hurry
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. content — the amount
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. content — happy
  17. tear — from crying
  18. can — to be able to
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. content — videos and posts
  22. can — a tin
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. squash — to crush

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