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 120 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: content · field · march · safe · bound · object · cue · stick

  1. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. bound — tied together
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. object — to protest
  5. bound — certain
  6. content — the amount
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. field — farmland
  10. object — a thing
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. cue — a hint
  13. bound — obliged
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. field — a subject
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. cue — a signal
  18. march — music
  19. field — for sport
  20. content — happy
  21. march — the month
  22. cue — for pool
  23. object — an aim
  24. content — videos and posts

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