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. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. bound — certain
  3. track — to keep track
  4. tear — from crying
  5. drill — army training
  6. track — a song
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. capital — a city
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. drill — a practice
  11. perch — the fish
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. tear — to rip
  14. pit — a hole
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. capital — a big letter
  17. pit — in a race
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. drill — the tool
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. capital — money
  22. bound — tied together
  23. track — a path
  24. tear — from crying

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