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. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. last — final
  3. last — to go on
  4. bound — tied together
  5. bound — obliged
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. net — after costs
  9. mug — to rob
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. bound — certain
  13. mug — a face
  14. last — finally
  15. content — the amount
  16. mug — a cup
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. net — in sport
  19. content — videos and posts
  20. band — a ring
  21. stem — to come from
  22. band — a music group
  23. content — happy
  24. net — for catching

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