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. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. march — the month
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. bound — certain
  6. content — happy
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. face — part of the head
  10. bound — obliged
  11. kick — in football
  12. bound — tied together
  13. face — to point toward
  14. rash — a series
  15. pop — to visit
  16. content — the amount
  17. march — music
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. march — the month
  20. pop — music
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. face — to confront
  23. rash — hasty
  24. content — videos and posts

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