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 120 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. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. suit — clothes
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. bound — tied together
  5. tube — the underground
  6. tube — a container
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. suit — to fit
  10. suit — in cards
  11. lie — to recline
  12. wake — a trail
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. shower — rain
  16. bound — certain
  17. shower — a meteor shower
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. season — of the year
  20. shower — to wash
  21. present — a gift
  22. present — the time now
  23. season — in sport
  24. 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