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. When are we going to ________________?
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. rush — hurry
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. bound — tied together
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. ball — a dance
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. land — ground
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. track — a song
  12. track — to keep track
  13. press — newspapers
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. track — a path
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. ball — a great time
  18. bound — certain
  19. press — to push
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. press — a publisher
  22. land — a country
  23. bound — obliged
  24. coach — a trainer

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