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. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  2. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. land — a country
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. bound — certain
  4. stem — to come from
  5. drill — the tool
  6. key — in music
  7. bound — obliged
  8. pit — a hole
  9. land — ground
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. key — the most important part
  12. pit — in a race
  13. key — for a lock
  14. land — to come down
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. bulb — for light
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. drill — a practice
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. drill — army training
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. bulb — for light
  24. bound — tied together

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