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: ball · bowl · race · squash · patient · wake · rash · craft

  1. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. craft — a skill
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. squash — the sport
  7. race — humankind
  8. rash — hasty
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. ball — a great time
  11. wake — a trail
  12. ball — a dance
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. race — a contest
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. rash — a series
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. craft — boats
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. race — the arms race

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