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. The ball is in your ________________.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. He was locked up in a ________________.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  11. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  23. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  24. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.

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

Answer key

  1. court — for sport
  2. bound — obliged
  3. mate — a friend
  4. jam — a tight spot
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. ground — a position
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. cell — in a prison
  9. current — of water
  10. jam — in traffic
  11. cell — a phone
  12. mate — to breed
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. current — electric
  15. mate — a partner
  16. court — of law
  17. ground — the earth
  18. current — happening now
  19. bound — tied together
  20. ground — crushed
  21. bound — certain
  22. jam — to spread on bread
  23. cell — in biology
  24. court — of a king

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