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. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. The water is too ________________.
  11. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. can — a tin
  3. object — a thing
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. object — to protest
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. ground — the earth
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. cold — not warm
  11. cold — the Cold War
  12. bound — tied together
  13. ground — crushed
  14. object — an aim
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. tube — a container
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. can — a tin
  19. ground — a position
  20. bound — obliged
  21. can — to be able to
  22. cold — an illness
  23. tube — the underground
  24. lie — to recline

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