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 116 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. False peace will not ________________.
  2. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  3. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. last — to go on
  2. march — the month
  3. field — for sport
  4. chip — to eat
  5. last — finally
  6. chip — for betting
  7. spell — a short time
  8. bound — certain
  9. march — the month
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. pit — in a race
  12. field — farmland
  13. bound — tied together
  14. spell — letters
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. march — music
  17. field — a subject
  18. pass — a permit
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. pit — a hole
  21. last — final
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. spell — magic
  24. bound — obliged

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