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: last · wind · bound · pitch · current · rule · mine · squash

  1. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  20. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. At ________________, we arrived at the village.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. bound — tied together
  3. wind — moving air
  4. current — happening now
  5. wind — to turn a key
  6. rule — government
  7. bound — certain
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. current — electric
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. squash — to crush
  12. last — to go on
  13. current — of water
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. pitch — completely
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. mine — for digging
  18. rule — a law
  19. last — final
  20. wind — moving air
  21. squash — the sport
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. last — finally

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