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. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  3. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. march — the month
  3. tear — to rip
  4. press — newspapers
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. wound — an injury
  7. march — music
  8. object — to protest
  9. wound — an injury
  10. bound — tied together
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. press — a publisher
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. tear — from crying
  17. object — a thing
  18. object — an aim
  19. march — the month
  20. press — to push
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. tear — from crying
  23. bound — certain
  24. mouse — for a computer

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