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: straw · bass · prune · cap · bore · bank · land · squash

  1. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. bank — of a river
  3. land — a country
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. prune — to trim
  9. squash — to crush
  10. land — to come down
  11. cap — a hat
  12. bass — low music
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. bank — for money
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. bore — to tire
  17. prune — to trim
  18. cap — of ice
  19. bass — the fish
  20. bank — for money
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. land — ground
  23. bore — to drill
  24. cap — a lid

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