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 116 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: ground · object · racket · fork · bound · drill · present · capital

  1. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. drill — army training
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. drill — a practice
  6. capital — money
  7. object — an aim
  8. fork — in a road
  9. present — there
  10. bound — tied together
  11. ground — a position
  12. present — the time now
  13. drill — the tool
  14. object — to protest
  15. present — a gift
  16. object — a thing
  17. capital — a city
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. capital — a big letter
  21. ground — the earth
  22. ground — crushed
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. bound — certain

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