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. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. False peace will not ________________.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. pop — to visit
  3. current — happening now
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. current — of water
  6. current — electric
  7. last — final
  8. lie — to recline
  9. march — the month
  10. key — the most important part
  11. bound — obliged
  12. march — the month
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. key — for a lock
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. key — in music
  17. last — finally
  18. last — to go on
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. pop — music
  21. bound — tied together
  22. march — music
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. bound — certain

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