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're on a ________________ here.
  2. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — on a roll
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. bound — certain
  4. net — after costs
  5. ground — crushed
  6. bound — obliged
  7. mug — a cup
  8. rule — a law
  9. net — for catching
  10. roll — a cake
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. band — a ring
  13. bound — tied together
  14. net — in sport
  15. roll — a list
  16. rule — government
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. mug — to rob
  19. mug — a face
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. ground — a position
  22. ground — the earth
  23. band — a rubber band
  24. band — a music group

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