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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: field · court · prune · pass · spell · pitcher · bound · object

  1. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. The ball is in your ________________.
  11. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  19. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. prune — to trim
  5. court — of law
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. pass — a permit
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. bound — certain
  10. court — for sport
  11. field — farmland
  12. bound — tied together
  13. spell — magic
  14. object — an aim
  15. object — to protest
  16. court — of a king
  17. object — a thing
  18. field — for sport
  19. field — a subject
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. prune — to trim
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. spell — letters
  24. spell — a short time

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