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 120 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. The King held a masked ________________.
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  18. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. mate — a friend
  3. bark — to shout
  4. squash — to crush
  5. degree — from a university
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. bank — of a river
  10. mate — to breed
  11. squash — the sport
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. bank — for money
  15. ball — a great time
  16. mate — a partner
  17. degree — temperature
  18. bark — a dog's sound
  19. bound — tied together
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. bound — obliged
  22. bank — for money
  23. degree — an amount
  24. bound — certain

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