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. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. capital — a city
  3. bound — obliged
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. bore — to drill
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. bound — certain
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. bound — tied together
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. bore — to tire
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. mark — a trace
  16. capital — money
  17. vault — a safe
  18. capital — a big letter
  19. season — in sport
  20. mark — a grade
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. patient — calm and waiting

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