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 120 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: pass · rush · deal · snap · pitcher · season · squash · bank

  1. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. season — of the year
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. snap — to click
  12. squash — to crush
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. pass — a permit
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. season — in sport
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. squash — the sport
  20. bank — of a river
  21. bank — for money
  22. deal — to handle
  23. bank — for money
  24. pass — to spend time

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