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: wound · cell · bound · cue · jam · bat · mug · ruler

  1. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  2. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  6. He was locked up in a ________________.
  7. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  15. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  19. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. jam — a tight spot
  3. cue — a signal
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. bat — in an idiom
  6. cell — in a prison
  7. wound — past of 'wind'
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. bound — tied together
  10. cell — in biology
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. cell — a phone
  13. cue — for pool
  14. bat — for baseball
  15. jam — to spread on bread
  16. bound — certain
  17. cue — a hint
  18. wound — an injury
  19. jam — in traffic
  20. mug — to rob
  21. bound — obliged
  22. bat — the animal
  23. mug — a face
  24. mug — a cup

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