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 120 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 sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  24. Beijing is the ________________ of China.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. wind — to turn a key
  3. spell — a short time
  4. mate — to breed
  5. mate — a friend
  6. spell — magic
  7. capital — money
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. suit — clothes
  10. ground — the earth
  11. ground — crushed
  12. bound — obliged
  13. wind — moving air
  14. pass — a permit
  15. suit — in cards
  16. ground — a position
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. spell — letters
  19. suit — to fit
  20. bound — certain
  21. wind — moving air
  22. mate — a partner
  23. capital — a big letter
  24. capital — a city

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