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. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  12. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. pitch — completely
  4. land — to come down
  5. march — the month
  6. ball — a great time
  7. perch — the fish
  8. march — music
  9. land — a country
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. wind — to turn a key
  12. wind — moving air
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. ball — a dance
  15. wind — moving air
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. bound — certain
  18. bound — obliged
  19. march — the month
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. land — ground

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