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: rash · face · pitcher · squash · last · plane · pit · bound

  1. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. False peace will not ________________.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. last — finally
  2. bound — obliged
  3. bound — certain
  4. squash — the sport
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. squash — to crush
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. plane — a tool
  9. last — final
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. face — to point toward
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. pit — in a race
  17. last — to go on
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. pit — a hole
  20. face — to confront
  21. rash — a series
  22. face — part of the head
  23. rash — hasty
  24. bound — tied together

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