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 116 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: wound · fine · squash · content · tube · charge · prune · deal

  1. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. deal — to handle
  4. wound — an injury
  5. squash — to crush
  6. charge — electricity
  7. fine — high quality
  8. wound — an injury
  9. charge — a price
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. content — happy
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. tube — the underground
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. charge — in control
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. fine — all right
  20. prune — to trim
  21. tube — a container
  22. content — the amount
  23. prune — to trim
  24. fine — a penalty

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