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: cue · bound · stand · field · straw · mouse · rush · chest

  1. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  21. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  22. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. stand — to bear
  3. bound — obliged
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. chest — a box
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. field — a subject
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. cue — for pool
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. cue — a signal
  15. cue — a hint
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. bound — tied together
  20. field — for sport
  21. chest — of your body
  22. chest — of your body
  23. rush — hurry
  24. field — farmland

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