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. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  15. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. bound — obliged
  4. club — for golf
  5. fine — all right
  6. bound — tied together
  7. fine — high quality
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. pit — in a race
  10. wax — to grow
  11. club — for dancing
  12. jam — in traffic
  13. present — the time now
  14. jam — a tight spot
  15. jam — to spread on bread
  16. present — a gift
  17. rush — hurry
  18. club — a group
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. pit — a hole
  22. present — there
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. fine — a penalty

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