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. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. mate — a partner
  3. pass — a permit
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. bound — certain
  6. wind — moving air
  7. firm — a company
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. mate — to breed
  11. wind — to turn a key
  12. game — a match
  13. firm — steady
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. firm — decided
  16. tube — a container
  17. bound — obliged
  18. wind — moving air
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. tube — the underground
  23. bound — tied together
  24. game — wild animals

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