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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  22. Have you settled on a ________________?
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. bound — obliged
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. bound — tied together
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. key — for a lock
  7. board — to get on
  8. board — a committee
  9. face — to point toward
  10. date — the fruit
  11. fork — in a road
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. face — part of the head
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. key — in music
  16. squash — to crush
  17. tube — the underground
  18. key — the most important part
  19. tube — a container
  20. bound — certain
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. face — to confront
  24. board — a flat piece

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