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. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. bound — obliged
  3. march — music
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. deal — to handle
  7. rush — hurry
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. rock — a stone
  10. game — a match
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. dip — to sink
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. rock — music
  16. mine — for digging
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. bound — certain
  20. bound — tied together
  21. march — the month
  22. march — the month
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. dip — a sauce

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