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 120 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 · present · kick · cold · ball · stand · wake · tube

  1. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  22. The water is too ________________.
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. wake — a trail
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. squash — to crush
  5. stand — to bear
  6. cold — the Cold War
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. tube — the underground
  9. ball — a great time
  10. squash — the sport
  11. present — a gift
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. cold — an illness
  16. tube — a container
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. present — there
  21. kick — in football
  22. cold — not warm
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. ball — a dance

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