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. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  22. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. spell — a short time
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. land — to come down
  7. shower — to wash
  8. bound — tied together
  9. shower — rain
  10. pit — in a race
  11. rock — a stone
  12. land — ground
  13. pit — a hole
  14. shower — a meteor shower
  15. bound — obliged
  16. rock — music
  17. spell — magic
  18. toast — bread
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. spell — letters
  21. toast — the most admired
  22. land — a country
  23. kick — in football
  24. toast — a drink to someone

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