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: cue · current · leaves · object · squash · saw · bass · fork

  1. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. squash — to crush
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. current — happening now
  6. object — an aim
  7. squash — the sport
  8. cue — a signal
  9. saw — the tool
  10. cue — for pool
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. current — of water
  14. cue — a hint
  15. bass — low music
  16. object — a thing
  17. fork — in a road
  18. current — electric
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. saw — the tool
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. bass — the fish
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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