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: game · charge · racket · rest · mark · spell · squash · wake

  1. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. squash — the sport
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. game — a match
  5. wake — a trail
  6. mark — a grade
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. spell — letters
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. rest — what's left
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. squash — to crush
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. charge — in control
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. mark — a trace
  18. rest — what's left
  19. charge — electricity
  20. spell — a short time
  21. spell — magic
  22. game — wild animals
  23. charge — a price
  24. rest — a break

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