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. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  24. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. bound — obliged
  3. hand — in cards
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. tube — a container
  8. mine — for digging
  9. tube — the underground
  10. firm — a company
  11. hand — help
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. capital — a city
  14. firm — decided
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. capital — a big letter
  20. bound — certain
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. bound — tied together
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. capital — money

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