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: game · present · perch · track · wind · spell · bound · squash

  1. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. game — a match
  3. present — a gift
  4. wind — to turn a key
  5. present — there
  6. squash — the sport
  7. bound — obliged
  8. bound — certain
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. perch — the fish
  11. track — a song
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. game — wild animals
  14. bound — tied together
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. wind — moving air
  17. squash — to crush
  18. wind — moving air
  19. spell — magic
  20. track — a path
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. track — to keep track
  23. present — the time now
  24. spell — letters

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