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. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. bound — obliged
  4. key — the most important part
  5. net — for catching
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. bark — to shout
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. march — music
  12. key — for a lock
  13. net — after costs
  14. wound — an injury
  15. march — the month
  16. wake — a trail
  17. bound — tied together
  18. bound — certain
  19. wound — an injury
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. net — in sport
  23. key — in music
  24. bowl — to roll

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