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. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  11. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  12. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  18. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  19. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — money
  2. bound — obliged
  3. jam — to spread on bread
  4. land — to come down
  5. jam — in traffic
  6. land — a country
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. bound — tied together
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. toast — a drink to someone
  11. toast — the most admired
  12. jam — a tight spot
  13. rule — a law
  14. rule — government
  15. land — ground
  16. bound — certain
  17. capital — a big letter
  18. capital — a city
  19. toast — bread
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. wake — a trail
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. rash — a series
  24. rash — hasty

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