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. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  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. game — a kind of play
  2. firm — steady
  3. bound — certain
  4. tube — the underground
  5. march — the month
  6. bound — tied together
  7. hand — in cards
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. firm — decided
  10. firm — a company
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. squash — to crush
  13. tube — a container
  14. squash — the sport
  15. game — a match
  16. game — wild animals
  17. foot — a measure
  18. march — music
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. hand — help
  21. bound — obliged
  22. march — the month
  23. hand — part of the body
  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