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. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  2. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  20. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  21. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  22. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  23. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  24. We ________________ up on opposing sides.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — in traffic
  2. club — a group
  3. club — for dancing
  4. wound — an injury
  5. jam — a tight spot
  6. face — to confront
  7. spring — the season
  8. face — to point toward
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. bound — certain
  11. spring — a coil
  12. bound — obliged
  13. bound — tied together
  14. squash — to crush
  15. face — part of the head
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. squash — the sport
  18. club — for golf
  19. spring — of water
  20. wound — an injury
  21. bark — a dog's sound
  22. bark — to shout
  23. jam — to spread on bread
  24. wound — past of 'wind'

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