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: squash · race · toast · sharp · date · saw · land · rock

  1. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. Have you settled on a ________________?
  8. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. saw — the tool
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. race — humankind
  5. land — a country
  6. squash — to crush
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. race — the arms race
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. date — the fruit
  11. sharp — clever
  12. land — ground
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. land — to come down
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. race — a contest
  17. saw — the tool
  18. rock — a stone
  19. toast — bread
  20. rock — music
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. toast — a drink to someone
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. toast — the most admired

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