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: cue · bound · chest · bank · squash · pop · mug · board

  1. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. bound — obliged
  3. mug — a cup
  4. bank — for money
  5. pop — soda
  6. bank — of a river
  7. board — a committee
  8. cue — a signal
  9. board — to get on
  10. cue — a hint
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. bank — for money
  13. mug — to rob
  14. chest — a box
  15. pop — to visit
  16. chest — of your body
  17. cue — for pool
  18. bound — certain
  19. bound — tied together
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. chest — of your body
  22. pop — music
  23. mug — a face
  24. squash — to crush

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