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. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. present — there
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. tear — from crying
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. present — the time now
  7. present — a gift
  8. bound — certain
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. pit — a hole
  11. squash — to crush
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. row — to paddle
  14. ball — a great time
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. tear — to rip
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. row — a line
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. bound — obliged
  21. pit — in a race
  22. squash — the sport
  23. ball — a dance
  24. tear — from crying

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