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. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. pop — soda
  3. bank — for money
  4. season — in sport
  5. rock — a stone
  6. bank — for money
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. bound — tied together
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. rock — music
  12. pop — to visit
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. mine — for digging
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. bound — certain
  18. pop — music
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. season — of the year
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. bank — of a river
  24. wax — to grow

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