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: wax · key · land · season · leaves · rule · pitch · bound

  1. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. key — the most important part
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. land — a country
  5. rule — a law
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. key — for a lock
  8. bound — certain
  9. rule — government
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. land — ground
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. season — in sport
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. pitch — completely
  16. bound — tied together
  17. wax — to grow
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. key — in music
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. land — to come down
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. season — of the year

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