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. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. game — wild animals
  3. bound — obliged
  4. bound — tied together
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. face — to confront
  7. shower — rain
  8. bank — for money
  9. shower — to wash
  10. hand — help
  11. face — to point toward
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. face — part of the head
  17. bank — of a river
  18. bank — for money
  19. bound — certain
  20. mine — for digging
  21. shower — a meteor shower
  22. game — a match
  23. hand — in cards
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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