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. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  14. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — for digging
  2. wind — moving air
  3. mark — a trace
  4. mark — a grade
  5. saw — the tool
  6. firm — a company
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. jam — in traffic
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. saw — the tool
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. bound — tied together
  13. wind — to turn a key
  14. wind — moving air
  15. firm — steady
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. jam — a tight spot
  19. firm — decided
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. jam — to spread on bread
  22. bound — obliged
  23. bound — certain
  24. mine — an explosive

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