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: bank · squash · net · bound · pound · last · drill · fall

  1. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. False peace will not ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. bound — certain
  3. net — in sport
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. fall — to drop
  6. fall — the season
  7. last — finally
  8. bank — of a river
  9. net — after costs
  10. net — for catching
  11. pound — to hit hard
  12. bank — for money
  13. fall — to drop
  14. pound — for dogs
  15. bound — tied together
  16. bound — obliged
  17. last — final
  18. bank — for money
  19. squash — the sport
  20. drill — army training
  21. pound — a weight
  22. drill — a practice
  23. squash — to crush
  24. last — to go on

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