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. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  13. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  24. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. bound — obliged
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. firm — steady
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. firm — decided
  8. can — a tin
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. can — to be able to
  12. capital — money
  13. capital — a city
  14. bound — certain
  15. bound — tied together
  16. firm — a company
  17. can — a tin
  18. kid — child
  19. wake — a trail
  20. plane — a tool
  21. capital — a big letter
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  24. kid — to tease

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