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. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  3. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. capital — a big letter
  3. capital — a city
  4. present — there
  5. present — the time now
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. bound — tied together
  9. present — a gift
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. capital — money
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. prune — to trim
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. ball — a dance
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. prune — to trim
  22. bound — obliged
  23. wake — a trail
  24. ball — a great time

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