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 ________________ to happen.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  10. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. Have you settled on a ________________?
  13. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. bound — certain
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. kid — to tease
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  8. ground — a position
  9. kid — child
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. date — the fruit
  14. plane — a tool
  15. bound — tied together
  16. bear — the animal
  17. bear — the animal
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. sharp — clever
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. ground — crushed
  24. ground — the earth

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