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. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. squash — the sport
  3. bass — the fish
  4. fall — the season
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. bound — tied together
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. tube — a container
  13. perch — the fish
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. fall — to drop
  18. bound — certain
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. squash — to crush
  21. bound — obliged
  22. tube — the underground
  23. bass — low music
  24. bass — the instrument

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