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: chair · squash · foot · bore · hand · shower · rush · suit

  1. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  16. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  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. squash — the sport
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. suit — to fit
  4. chair — a professorship
  5. rush — hurry
  6. bore — to drill
  7. chair — to sit on
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. foot — a measure
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. hand — help
  15. shower — rain
  16. chair — a leader
  17. suit — clothes
  18. hand — in cards
  19. suit — in cards
  20. shower — to wash
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. bore — to tire
  23. foot — part of the body
  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