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. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. pop — music
  3. march — the month
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. race — humankind
  6. march — the month
  7. bound — tied together
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. race — the arms race
  10. can — a tin
  11. bound — certain
  12. chip — to eat
  13. pop — soda
  14. can — a tin
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. pass — a permit
  17. can — to be able to
  18. pop — to visit
  19. race — a contest
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. march — music
  24. chip — for betting

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