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. When are we going to ________________?
  2. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. We're on a ________________ here.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. land — a country
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. roll — a cake
  5. drill — the tool
  6. bore — to tire
  7. bound — tied together
  8. bound — obliged
  9. bass — low music
  10. drill — a practice
  11. chair — a professorship
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. bass — the fish
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. roll — on a roll
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. drill — army training
  18. bound — certain
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. roll — a list
  21. chair — a leader
  22. bore — to drill
  23. land — ground
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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