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 120 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 · squash · cell · bank · rule · staff · hand · spell

  1. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  2. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. He was locked up in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — a phone
  2. rule — a law
  3. bank — of a river
  4. cell — in biology
  5. bound — tied together
  6. squash — to crush
  7. staff — a stick
  8. spell — a short time
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. staff — employees
  11. spell — magic
  12. bound — obliged
  13. squash — the sport
  14. spell — letters
  15. staff — employees
  16. rule — government
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. bank — for money
  20. hand — help
  21. hand — in cards
  22. bank — for money
  23. bound — certain
  24. cell — in a prison

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