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. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. When are we going to ________________?
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. land — a country
  3. mug — to rob
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. land — ground
  7. chest — a box
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. kick — in football
  10. chest — of your body
  11. mug — a face
  12. bound — tied together
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. bound — obliged
  16. rush — hurry
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. chest — of your body
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. hand — in cards
  21. mug — a cup
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. land — to come down
  24. hand — help

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