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. Have you settled on a ________________?
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. shower — rain
  5. current — electric
  6. bound — obliged
  7. squash — the sport
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. date — the fruit
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. club — for dancing
  12. branch — a division
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. squash — to crush
  15. current — of water
  16. current — happening now
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. bound — certain
  19. rush — hurry
  20. shower — to wash
  21. bound — tied together
  22. club — a group
  23. shower — a meteor shower
  24. club — for golf

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