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. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  14. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  24. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. ground — crushed
  4. bound — certain
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. bound — obliged
  7. degree — an amount
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. court — for sport
  10. pit — a hole
  11. pit — in a race
  12. rock — a stone
  13. court — of a king
  14. file — a line of people
  15. rock — music
  16. file — a tool
  17. file — a document
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. bound — tied together
  20. ground — the earth
  21. ground — a position
  22. degree — from a university
  23. court — of law
  24. degree — temperature

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