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. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. pit — in a race
  5. tube — the underground
  6. track — to keep track
  7. track — a song
  8. face — part of the head
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. face — to confront
  11. track — a path
  12. pit — a hole
  13. bound — tied together
  14. bear — the animal
  15. season — in sport
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. bear — the animal
  19. bound — obliged
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. season — of the year
  23. tube — a container
  24. face — to point toward

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