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: wave · charge · date · nail · temple · bound · squash · hand

  1. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. When was this ________________ built?
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. Have you settled on a ________________?
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  20. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — help
  2. bound — tied together
  3. charge — electricity
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. squash — to crush
  6. bound — obliged
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. squash — the sport
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. charge — a price
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. hand — in cards
  19. date — the fruit
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. bound — certain
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. charge — in control
  24. nail — for a hammer

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