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. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. He was locked up in a ________________.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. The water is too ________________.
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in biology
  2. bound — certain
  3. bank — for money
  4. cold — the Cold War
  5. bank — of a river
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. pit — a hole
  9. ball — a dance
  10. cell — in a prison
  11. bound — obliged
  12. game — wild animals
  13. squash — the sport
  14. cold — not warm
  15. game — a match
  16. cold — an illness
  17. bound — tied together
  18. cell — a phone
  19. squash — to crush
  20. pit — in a race
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. ball — a great time
  23. bank — for money
  24. game — a kind of play

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