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. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. Have you settled on a ________________?
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. cue — a signal
  3. date — the fruit
  4. fall — the season
  5. squash — to crush
  6. fall — to drop
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. clip — for paper
  9. cue — a hint
  10. chip — to eat
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. fall — to drop
  13. clip — a video
  14. chip — for betting
  15. clip — to cut
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. cue — for pool
  18. bound — obliged
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. bound — certain
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. squash — the sport
  24. perch — the fish

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