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. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  17. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. wound — an injury
  3. pit — a hole
  4. clip — to cut
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. bound — tied together
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  10. can — a tin
  11. clip — for paper
  12. pit — in a race
  13. can — to be able to
  14. fork — in a road
  15. can — a tin
  16. kid — to tease
  17. kid — child
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. clip — a video
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. wound — an injury
  24. bound — certain

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