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. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  19. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  20. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. mate — to breed
  3. stock — shares
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. plane — a tool
  7. swing — music
  8. lean — thin
  9. mate — a friend
  10. swing — to play on
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. stock — goods
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. bound — tied together
  15. bound — certain
  16. lean — to bend
  17. swing — in golf
  18. capital — a big letter
  19. capital — a city
  20. pound — to hit hard
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. capital — money
  23. pound — a weight
  24. mate — a partner

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