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. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. game — wild animals
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. bound — tied together
  6. land — to come down
  7. row — to paddle
  8. bound — certain
  9. land — ground
  10. pop — music
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. pop — soda
  13. land — a country
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. game — a match
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. row — a line
  20. pitch — completely
  21. march — the month
  22. pop — to visit
  23. march — music
  24. bound — obliged

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