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: game · bound · rule · file · stand · jam · squash · mine

  1. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  18. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. stand — to bear
  3. bound — certain
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. file — a tool
  6. jam — to spread on bread
  7. mine — for digging
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. jam — a tight spot
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. file — a document
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. rule — government
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. bound — obliged
  17. jam — in traffic
  18. file — a line of people
  19. game — wild animals
  20. squash — the sport
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. rule — a law
  23. squash — to crush
  24. game — a match

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