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: squash · pitcher · pop · tube · lash · last · drill · season

  1. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. False peace will not ________________.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. season — in sport
  3. last — final
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. drill — a practice
  6. squash — the sport
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. pop — to visit
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. drill — the tool
  11. last — finally
  12. pop — music
  13. season — of the year
  14. tube — the underground
  15. drill — army training
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. tube — a container
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. last — to go on
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. squash — to crush
  24. lash — an eyelash

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