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. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. land — a country
  2. bound — obliged
  3. bound — tied together
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. row — to paddle
  6. bound — certain
  7. net — after costs
  8. land — to come down
  9. key — in music
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. net — for catching
  12. land — ground
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. key — for a lock
  17. row — a line
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. dip — to sink
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. net — in sport
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. key — the most important part

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