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. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. bound — tied together
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. wind — moving air
  5. net — after costs
  6. net — for catching
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. wind — moving air
  12. net — in sport
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. stock — goods
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. perch — the fish
  18. stock — shares
  19. bound — obliged
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. wind — to turn a key
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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