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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: bore · swing · content · squash · bound · cap · stick · bat

  1. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. cap — a lid
  3. content — the amount
  4. bat — for baseball
  5. swing — in golf
  6. bound — certain
  7. squash — to crush
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. cap — of ice
  10. cap — a hat
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. bore — to tire
  14. swing — to play on
  15. content — happy
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. bat — in an idiom
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. bound — obliged
  21. bore — to drill
  22. bat — the animal
  23. squash — the sport
  24. swing — music

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