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: current · land · pop · bound · ball · board · press · squash

  1. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. ball — a great time
  3. squash — to crush
  4. press — a publisher
  5. pop — music
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. pop — to visit
  8. land — to come down
  9. press — newspapers
  10. pop — soda
  11. current — happening now
  12. current — electric
  13. squash — the sport
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. current — of water
  17. board — a committee
  18. land — ground
  19. bound — certain
  20. press — to push
  21. land — a country
  22. bound — tied together
  23. ball — a dance
  24. board — to get on

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