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 are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  17. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. spell — letters
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. spell — a short time
  5. field — a subject
  6. rule — a law
  7. deal — to handle
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. rule — government
  10. can — to be able to
  11. pound — a weight
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. bound — certain
  14. pound — for dogs
  15. can — a tin
  16. field — farmland
  17. pound — to hit hard
  18. bound — tied together
  19. can — a tin
  20. spell — magic
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. field — for sport
  24. patient — a sick person

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