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. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  19. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. bound — obliged
  3. root — of a word
  4. capital — a city
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. bound — certain
  8. firm — steady
  9. bound — tied together
  10. capital — a big letter
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. firm — a company
  13. field — for sport
  14. spell — magic
  15. field — farmland
  16. root — the cause
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. capital — money
  19. field — a subject
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. firm — decided
  22. root — of a plant
  23. spell — a short time
  24. safe — a strongbox

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