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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. pound — a weight
  4. bound — tied together
  5. file — a line of people
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. bound — certain
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. fine — all right
  12. file — a document
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. file — a tool
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. pound — for dogs
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. bound — obliged

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