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: sharp · bound · pound · craft · bat · firm · wound · squash

  1. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  2. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  3. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. pound — a weight
  3. bat — the animal
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. sharp — clever
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. bound — tied together
  9. bat — for baseball
  10. bound — certain
  11. pound — for dogs
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. wound — an injury
  14. firm — decided
  15. firm — steady
  16. squash — to crush
  17. firm — a company
  18. bat — in an idiom
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. craft — a skill
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. craft — boats
  23. wound — an injury
  24. bound — obliged

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