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: dip · fork · squash · wind · wave · straw · foot · cap

  1. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  12. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. wind — to turn a key
  4. cap — a lid
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. squash — to crush
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. foot — a measure
  12. wind — moving air
  13. dip — to sink
  14. cap — a hat
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. squash — the sport
  19. fork — in a road
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. cap — of ice

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