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 116 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. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  24. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. spring — a coil
  3. court — of a king
  4. bound — certain
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. spring — of water
  7. perch — the fish
  8. court — for sport
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. wind — moving air
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. wind — to turn a key
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. bound — tied together
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. pit — in a race
  20. pit — a hole
  21. spring — the season
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. court — of law
  24. wind — moving air

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