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

Word bank: bound · rule · squash · rock · stand · scale · safe · spring

  1. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. scale — size or range
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. bound — certain
  6. rule — government
  7. spring — a coil
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. rule — a law
  11. spring — of water
  12. bound — obliged
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. squash — to crush
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. bound — tied together
  17. spring — the season
  18. rock — music
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. rule — to rule out
  21. squash — the sport
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. scale — in music
  24. rock — a stone

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