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. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. track — a path
  4. squash — to crush
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. track — a song
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. race — the arms race
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. race — humankind
  13. race — a contest
  14. track — to keep track
  15. bound — obliged
  16. bound — certain
  17. saw — the tool
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. squash — the sport
  20. saw — the tool
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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