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: club · bound · pass · bore · bank · squash · file · game

  1. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. bank — for money
  3. club — for golf
  4. bound — tied together
  5. bank — of a river
  6. file — a document
  7. squash — the sport
  8. club — a group
  9. pass — a permit
  10. game — wild animals
  11. bound — obliged
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. bore — to tire
  15. bound — certain
  16. file — a tool
  17. bank — for money
  18. club — for dancing
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. bore — to drill
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. game — a match
  23. file — a line of people
  24. game — a kind of play

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