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. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. row — a line
  4. pound — a weight
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. drill — army training
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. clip — to cut
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. bound — tied together
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. row — to paddle
  15. clip — for paper
  16. branch — a division
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. drill — the tool
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. drill — a practice
  23. clip — a video
  24. bound — certain

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