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. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. current — happening now
  4. kid — to tease
  5. bound — tied together
  6. ground — a position
  7. spell — magic
  8. current — of water
  9. kick — in football
  10. rash — hasty
  11. court — for sport
  12. current — electric
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. kid — child
  15. spell — a short time
  16. ground — crushed
  17. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  18. court — of a king
  19. spell — letters
  20. court — of law
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. ground — the earth
  23. bound — obliged
  24. rash — a series

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