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 · perch · snap · rush · present · pit · chest · fan

  1. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. present — the time now
  3. chest — a box
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. pit — a hole
  11. chest — of your body
  12. snap — to click
  13. squash — the sport
  14. present — there
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. rush — hurry
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. present — a gift
  20. pit — in a race
  21. chest — of your body
  22. squash — to crush
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. perch — the fish

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