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: current · object · pit · present · stick · bound · chair · lie

  1. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. bound — certain
  4. current — of water
  5. present — a gift
  6. present — there
  7. bound — tied together
  8. object — to protest
  9. chair — to sit on
  10. pit — a hole
  11. chair — a professorship
  12. lie — to recline
  13. pit — in a race
  14. chair — a leader
  15. present — the time now
  16. bound — obliged
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. object — a thing
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. object — an aim
  23. current — happening now
  24. current — electric

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