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. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. cue — for pool
  4. cue — a hint
  5. squash — the sport
  6. mug — a cup
  7. track — a song
  8. bound — obliged
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. court — for sport
  12. court — of a king
  13. bound — certain
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. track — to keep track
  17. mug — a face
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. mug — to rob
  20. court — of law
  21. cue — a signal
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. bound — tied together
  24. track — a path

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