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. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. land — a country
  2. bound — obliged
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. bound — tied together
  5. wake — a trail
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. tube — the underground
  8. land — to come down
  9. mark — a grade
  10. bound — certain
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. land — ground
  13. tube — a container
  14. lie — to recline
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. mark — a trace

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