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 can't ________________ this cold.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  24. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. stand — to bear
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. race — a contest
  5. squash — the sport
  6. net — in sport
  7. net — for catching
  8. bound — certain
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. spell — letters
  11. spell — magic
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. club — for golf
  14. race — the arms race
  15. dip — to sink
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. bound — tied together
  18. squash — to crush
  19. net — after costs
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. club — for dancing
  22. spell — a short time
  23. club — a group
  24. race — humankind

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