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. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. land — ground
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. land — to come down
  4. rush — hurry
  5. bound — obliged
  6. current — electric
  7. fine — all right
  8. current — of water
  9. bound — tied together
  10. charge — a price
  11. court — for sport
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. fine — high quality
  14. land — a country
  15. court — of a king
  16. charge — in control
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. bound — certain
  19. court — of law
  20. charge — electricity
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. current — happening now

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