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. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. squash — the sport
  3. chip — for betting
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. pit — a hole
  7. chair — to sit on
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. bound — certain
  11. bore — to drill
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. squash — to crush
  14. chair — a professorship
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. pit — in a race
  17. chair — a leader
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. chip — to eat
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. bore — to tire
  22. bound — obliged
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. wake — a trail

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