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. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  24. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. object — to protest
  5. fine — high quality
  6. fine — all right
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. object — an aim
  9. press — to push
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. press — newspapers
  12. branch — a division
  13. bound — certain
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. sharp — clever
  16. bound — tied together
  17. content — happy
  18. object — a thing
  19. content — videos and posts
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. press — a publisher
  23. content — the amount
  24. branch — of a tree

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