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 116 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. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. land — ground
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. rock — a stone
  5. staff — a stick
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. field — a subject
  9. bound — tied together
  10. squash — the sport
  11. field — farmland
  12. mate — a friend
  13. land — a country
  14. hand — help
  15. squash — to crush
  16. staff — employees
  17. hand — in cards
  18. mate — a partner
  19. staff — employees
  20. mate — to breed
  21. land — to come down
  22. field — for sport
  23. bound — certain
  24. rock — music

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