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 116 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. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. The water is too ________________.
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. bound — obliged
  3. cold — the Cold War
  4. net — for catching
  5. land — ground
  6. can — a tin
  7. cold — an illness
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. land — to come down
  10. can — a tin
  11. bound — tied together
  12. game — wild animals
  13. net — in sport
  14. land — a country
  15. suit — to fit
  16. bound — certain
  17. bore — to drill
  18. bore — to tire
  19. cold — not warm
  20. suit — clothes
  21. game — a match
  22. net — after costs
  23. suit — in cards
  24. can — to be able to

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