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 president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. bound — tied together
  3. club — a group
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. season — of the year
  6. season — in sport
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. squash — the sport
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. club — for dancing
  11. march — music
  12. wind — to turn a key
  13. bound — obliged
  14. bound — certain
  15. march — the month
  16. march — the month
  17. club — for golf
  18. wind — moving air
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. bore — to drill
  21. wind — moving air
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. bore — to tire
  24. cabinet — ministers

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