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: hand · drill · chip · rash · bound · pitcher · squash · board

  1. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  2. He is an ace ________________.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. drill — army training
  4. drill — the tool
  5. rash — a series
  6. drill — a practice
  7. bound — obliged
  8. hand — in cards
  9. board — a committee
  10. bound — certain
  11. chip — for betting
  12. chip — to eat
  13. rash — hasty
  14. bound — tied together
  15. board — to get on
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. hand — help
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. squash — to crush
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. squash — the sport

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