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. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. firm — decided
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. last — final
  5. object — a thing
  6. bound — tied together
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. last — to go on
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. bore — to tire
  11. bore — to drill
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. bat — for baseball
  14. pit — a hole
  15. firm — a company
  16. last — finally
  17. object — to protest
  18. object — an aim
  19. bat — the animal
  20. pit — in a race
  21. bound — certain
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. firm — steady
  24. bat — in an idiom

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