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: bear · field · squash · mouse · toast · charge · chair · deal

  1. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  2. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  3. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  22. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  23. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  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. field — a subject
  3. field — for sport
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. squash — to crush
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. charge — electricity
  10. bear — the animal
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. field — farmland
  13. deal — to handle
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. chair — a leader
  16. toast — a drink to someone
  17. bear — the animal
  18. charge — in control
  19. toast — the most admired
  20. charge — a price
  21. chair — a professorship
  22. chair — to sit on
  23. toast — bread
  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