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. That must've been a ________________.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. bound — obliged
  3. rest — a break
  4. rest — what's left
  5. ball — a great time
  6. bound — certain
  7. ground — a position
  8. bound — tied together
  9. ground — the earth
  10. rest — what's left
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. pass — a permit
  13. ground — crushed
  14. hand — in cards
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. hand — help
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. ball — a dance
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. rush — hurry
  21. stock — shares
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. stock — goods
  24. ball — a round shape

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