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. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. bark — to shout
  3. shower — to wash
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. mate — to breed
  6. fork — in a road
  7. mate — a partner
  8. mug — a cup
  9. bark — a dog's sound
  10. mug — to rob
  11. pit — a hole
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. shower — a meteor shower
  15. mug — a face
  16. bound — tied together
  17. pit — in a race
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. bass — low music
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. shower — rain
  22. bound — certain
  23. bass — the fish
  24. mate — a friend

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