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: wound · bound · mine · cue · track · rule · bass · jam

  1. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. rule — a law
  3. rule — government
  4. track — a path
  5. jam — to spread on bread
  6. bound — tied together
  7. wound — an injury
  8. bass — low music
  9. cue — a signal
  10. jam — in traffic
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. bound — obliged
  13. bass — the fish
  14. wound — an injury
  15. mine — for digging
  16. track — a song
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. cue — a hint
  19. bound — certain
  20. jam — a tight spot
  21. track — to keep track
  22. cue — for pool
  23. wound — past of 'wind'
  24. mine — an explosive

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