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: rash · suit · scale · straw · mug · file · pitcher · squash

  1. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. mug — to rob
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. file — a tool
  5. suit — clothes
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. scale — size or range
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. file — a document
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. rash — a series
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. rash — hasty
  16. squash — the sport
  17. scale — in music
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. file — a line of people
  20. suit — in cards
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. mug — a face
  23. suit — to fit
  24. mug — a cup

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