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 116 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. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. We took cover from the thunder ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. present — there
  3. track — a path
  4. bound — obliged
  5. track — to keep track
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. bound — certain
  8. pit — a hole
  9. bound — tied together
  10. current — electric
  11. chip — for betting
  12. pit — in a race
  13. current — of water
  14. season — of the year
  15. season — in sport
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. present — the time now
  19. shower — to wash
  20. present — a gift
  21. chip — to eat
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. current — happening now
  24. shower — rain

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