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. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. Have you settled on a ________________?
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. bound — tied together
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. ground — a position
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. spell — a short time
  8. mark — a trace
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. bound — obliged
  12. chest — of your body
  13. ground — crushed
  14. chest — a box
  15. spell — letters
  16. rest — a break
  17. rest — what's left
  18. bound — certain
  19. date — the fruit
  20. rest — what's left
  21. spell — magic
  22. ground — the earth
  23. mark — a grade
  24. pass — a permit

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