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: dip · squash · coach · temple · season · bark · bowl · fan

  1. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. When was this ________________ built?
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  13. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. season — in sport
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. bark — of a tree
  13. temple — side of the head
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. bark — to shout
  18. season — of the year
  19. squash — the sport
  20. dip — to sink
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  24. bowl — to roll

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