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: mark · squash · straw · pitcher · cap · chip · game · rock

  1. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. squash — the sport
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. chip — to eat
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. cap — of ice
  9. rock — a stone
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. mark — a grade
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. chip — for betting
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. mark — a trace
  17. game — a match
  18. squash — to crush
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. cap — a lid
  21. cap — a hat
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. rock — music
  24. straw — dry grass

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