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: game · toast · shower · roll · press · snap · squash · stick

  1. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  18. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  24. We're on a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. press — newspapers
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. shower — rain
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. roll — a cake
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. shower — to wash
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. game — wild animals
  13. shower — a meteor shower
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. squash — the sport
  16. snap — to click
  17. roll — a list
  18. toast — bread
  19. press — a publisher
  20. toast — the most admired
  21. press — to push
  22. game — a match
  23. toast — a drink to someone
  24. roll — on a 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