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: march · cue · deal · cell · land · rock · squash · bound

  1. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  8. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. He was locked up in a ________________.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. rock — a stone
  3. bound — certain
  4. bound — obliged
  5. march — music
  6. squash — to crush
  7. cell — a phone
  8. march — the month
  9. rock — music
  10. bound — tied together
  11. land — ground
  12. land — to come down
  13. cue — a signal
  14. cue — for pool
  15. cue — a hint
  16. squash — the sport
  17. land — a country
  18. cell — in biology
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. deal — to handle
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. cell — in a prison
  24. squash — the vegetable

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