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 120 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. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  5. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. clip — to cut
  3. bound — obliged
  4. chest — a box
  5. chest — of your body
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. chest — of your body
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. clip — a video
  13. cue — a signal
  14. clip — for paper
  15. bound — tied together
  16. present — there
  17. cue — for pool
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. present — a gift
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. cue — a hint
  23. present — the time now
  24. sharp — clever

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