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 120 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 ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. squash — to crush
  3. mark — a grade
  4. current — of water
  5. wound — an injury
  6. bound — tied together
  7. mark — a trace
  8. current — happening now
  9. firm — a company
  10. tube — the underground
  11. wound — past of 'wind'
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. firm — steady
  14. bound — obliged
  15. wound — an injury
  16. squash — the sport
  17. tube — a container
  18. court — of a king
  19. court — for sport
  20. bound — certain
  21. current — electric
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. firm — decided
  24. squash — the vegetable

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