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: ball · craft · bound · squash · shower · ruler · chair · march

  1. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  23. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. shower — to wash
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. craft — boats
  6. march — music
  7. ball — a dance
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. chair — a leader
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. march — the month
  14. craft — a skill
  15. shower — rain
  16. ball — a great time
  17. squash — to crush
  18. squash — the sport
  19. march — the month
  20. bound — tied together
  21. bound — certain
  22. shower — a meteor shower
  23. chair — to sit on
  24. chair — a professorship

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