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. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  20. Have you settled on a ________________?
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. mug — a face
  3. object — to protest
  4. bound — obliged
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. mug — to rob
  7. bat — for baseball
  8. wake — a trail
  9. bound — tied together
  10. firm — a company
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. date — the fruit
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. firm — steady
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. bat — in an idiom
  17. mug — a cup
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. bat — the animal
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. firm — decided
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. bound — certain
  24. object — an aim

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