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 · bound · game · can · face · mug · fall · net

  1. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. can — a tin
  3. game — wild animals
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. fall — the season
  6. march — the month
  7. fall — to drop
  8. face — to point toward
  9. can — a tin
  10. net — after costs
  11. march — the month
  12. mug — a cup
  13. bound — tied together
  14. mug — a face
  15. net — in sport
  16. bound — obliged
  17. fall — to drop
  18. face — part of the head
  19. face — to confront
  20. march — music
  21. can — to be able to
  22. net — for catching
  23. mug — to rob
  24. game — a match

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