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 120 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. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. present — there
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. pit — in a race
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. wind — to turn a key
  7. can — to be able to
  8. can — a tin
  9. wind — moving air
  10. bound — obliged
  11. tube — a container
  12. bound — certain
  13. bound — tied together
  14. march — the month
  15. present — the time now
  16. foot — a measure
  17. march — the month
  18. march — music
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. tube — the underground
  21. can — a tin
  22. pit — a hole
  23. wind — moving air
  24. tube — in a tire

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