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. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  2. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. land — ground
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. pass — a permit
  4. deal — to handle
  5. land — a country
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. club — for golf
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. bound — tied together
  10. land — to come down
  11. club — a group
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. swing — music
  14. wound — an injury
  15. swing — to play on
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. bound — obliged
  18. fork — in a road
  19. wound — an injury
  20. club — for dancing
  21. swing — in golf
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. deal — an agreement
  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