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 are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. game — a match
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. bound — tied together
  6. foot — a measure
  7. pass — a permit
  8. key — for a lock
  9. drill — army training
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. key — the most important part
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. key — in music
  19. drill — a practice
  20. foot — part of the body
  21. bound — certain
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. drill — the tool
  24. game — wild animals

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