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: bound · track · hand · squash · key · mug · degree · kick

  1. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. track — a song
  3. bound — certain
  4. bound — obliged
  5. squash — to crush
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. key — in music
  9. track — a path
  10. track — to keep track
  11. degree — temperature
  12. squash — the sport
  13. mug — a face
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. key — the most important part
  16. hand — help
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. hand — in cards
  19. bound — tied together
  20. mug — to rob
  21. degree — from a university
  22. key — for a lock
  23. degree — an amount
  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