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. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  6. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  12. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  15. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  24. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. pitch — completely
  3. game — a match
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. toast — the most admired
  6. bat — in an idiom
  7. bound — certain
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. land — ground
  10. pound — a weight
  11. bat — for baseball
  12. toast — bread
  13. game — wild animals
  14. bat — the animal
  15. toast — a drink to someone
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. pound — for dogs
  20. bound — obliged
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. land — to come down
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. land — a country

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