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. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. jam — to spread on bread
  3. face — to confront
  4. last — finally
  5. face — part of the head
  6. last — to go on
  7. track — a path
  8. pit — in a race
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. track — to keep track
  11. face — to point toward
  12. last — final
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. bound — certain
  16. pit — a hole
  17. jam — in traffic
  18. bound — tied together
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. jam — a tight spot
  21. wax — to grow
  22. track — a song
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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