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: cold · bound · fan · mark · court · pitch · squash · pass

  1. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. The water is too ________________.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. cold — the Cold War
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. pitch — completely
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. court — for sport
  9. squash — to crush
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. cold — not warm
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. bound — certain
  15. bound — obliged
  16. cold — an illness
  17. mark — a grade
  18. court — of a king
  19. squash — the sport
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. mark — a trace
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. pass — a permit
  24. court — of law

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