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: bound · sharp · roll · swing · chest · pit · mate · object

  1. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. We're on a ________________ here.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  20. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. mate — a partner
  3. bound — obliged
  4. sharp — clever
  5. roll — a cake
  6. swing — music
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. swing — to play on
  9. pit — in a race
  10. roll — on a roll
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. object — an aim
  13. object — a thing
  14. object — to protest
  15. mate — a friend
  16. pit — a hole
  17. mate — to breed
  18. bound — tied together
  19. chest — of your body
  20. chest — a box
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. bound — certain
  23. swing — in golf
  24. roll — a list

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