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 · mine · pit · deal · last · stock · bore · lean

  1. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. last — finally
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. deal — to handle
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. last — final
  9. mine — for digging
  10. stock — shares
  11. lean — thin
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. mine — belonging to me
  15. pit — in a race
  16. bound — tied together
  17. bore — to tire
  18. bound — obliged
  19. bore — to drill
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. pit — a hole
  22. lean — to bend
  23. last — to go on
  24. stock — goods

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