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 116 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. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  6. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  13. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. bound — tied together
  3. clip — for paper
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. field — a subject
  6. field — farmland
  7. squash — to crush
  8. squash — the sport
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. bound — obliged
  12. clip — a video
  13. field — for sport
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. bulb — for light
  17. clip — to cut
  18. deal — to handle
  19. bulb — for light
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. deal — an agreement

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