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: kid · season · squash · row · bank · rash · chest · mine

  1. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  24. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. bank — of a river
  3. squash — to crush
  4. kid — child
  5. rash — a series
  6. bank — for money
  7. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. mine — for digging
  11. chest — of your body
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. bank — for money
  14. row — to paddle
  15. squash — the sport
  16. season — of the year
  17. chest — of your body
  18. season — in sport
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. rash — hasty
  23. kid — to tease
  24. chest — a box

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