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 had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — child
  2. fine — all right
  3. ground — the earth
  4. bound — obliged
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. rash — a series
  8. bound — certain
  9. ground — crushed
  10. band — a ring
  11. band — a music group
  12. fine — high quality
  13. rash — hasty
  14. march — the month
  15. suit — to fit
  16. kid — to tease
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. suit — clothes
  19. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  20. ground — a position
  21. march — music
  22. suit — in cards
  23. bound — tied together
  24. march — the month

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