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. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  21. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. wake — a trail
  3. net — for catching
  4. bound — certain
  5. field — a subject
  6. rule — a law
  7. can — to be able to
  8. bound — tied together
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. land — a country
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. can — a tin
  14. land — ground
  15. land — to come down
  16. can — a tin
  17. net — after costs
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. field — farmland
  21. rule — government
  22. net — in sport
  23. field — for sport
  24. wave — of the sea

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