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. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  7. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  14. Have you settled on a ________________?
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  21. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. track — to keep track
  3. tear — from crying
  4. bound — obliged
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. date — the fruit
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. current — of water
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. bound — certain
  11. jam — to spread on bread
  12. current — electric
  13. tear — from crying
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. track — a song
  16. board — to get on
  17. track — a path
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. wax — to grow
  20. jam — in traffic
  21. jam — a tight spot
  22. current — happening now
  23. board — a committee
  24. tear — to rip

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