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. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  2. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. clip — for paper
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. capital — a big letter
  5. bound — certain
  6. present — the time now
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. capital — money
  9. present — there
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. march — music
  12. present — a gift
  13. capital — a city
  14. march — the month
  15. bound — tied together
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. lean — to bend
  18. lean — thin
  19. clip — a video
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. clip — to cut
  23. bound — obliged
  24. cabinet — ministers

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