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. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  2. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — money
  2. chair — a leader
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. bound — certain
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. chair — a professorship
  7. tube — the underground
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. bound — obliged
  10. bound — tied together
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. bore — to tire
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. current — of water
  16. capital — a big letter
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. bore — to drill
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. current — electric
  21. capital — a city
  22. current — happening now
  23. tube — a container
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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