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 soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. face — part of the head
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. bound — tied together
  5. season — of the year
  6. drill — the tool
  7. season — in sport
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. face — to confront
  10. saw — the tool
  11. face — to point toward
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. degree — an amount
  14. content — the amount
  15. saw — the tool
  16. bound — obliged
  17. degree — from a university
  18. drill — a practice
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. degree — temperature
  21. content — happy
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. bound — certain
  24. patient — a sick person

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