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 haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. bound — obliged
  4. drill — a practice
  5. squash — to crush
  6. bound — certain
  7. snap — to click
  8. drill — the tool
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. drill — army training
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. kick — in football
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. game — a match
  20. bound — tied together
  21. game — wild animals
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. squash — the sport

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