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 124 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 reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  23. When was this ________________ built?
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. land — a country
  2. bound — tied together
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. club — a group
  6. land — to come down
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. bound — obliged
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. track — to keep track
  12. land — ground
  13. track — a path
  14. bound — certain
  15. file — a line of people
  16. club — for dancing
  17. track — a song
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. file — a tool
  21. club — for golf
  22. file — a document
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. deal — to handle

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