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. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. tube — the underground
  3. fall — the season
  4. bound — certain
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. present — the time now
  7. tube — a container
  8. race — a contest
  9. rush — hurry
  10. key — in music
  11. bound — tied together
  12. present — there
  13. race — the arms race
  14. fall — to drop
  15. key — the most important part
  16. ground — crushed
  17. fall — to drop
  18. key — for a lock
  19. race — humankind
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. ground — a position
  22. present — a gift
  23. ground — the earth
  24. rush — a thrill

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