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. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. mug — to rob
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. field — for sport
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. hand — in cards
  8. field — a subject
  9. mug — a face
  10. mug — a cup
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. hand — help
  14. current — of water
  15. bound — obliged
  16. branch — a division
  17. current — happening now
  18. current — electric
  19. bound — tied together
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. field — farmland
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. hand — part of the body
  24. kick — in football

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