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: key · snap · bound · object · content · rock · jam · stick

  1. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  3. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. jam — a tight spot
  3. content — happy
  4. bound — certain
  5. object — to protest
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. snap — to click
  8. content — the amount
  9. jam — to spread on bread
  10. key — the most important part
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. jam — in traffic
  13. object — an aim
  14. object — a thing
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. bound — obliged
  17. key — for a lock
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. key — in music
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. rock — a stone
  22. bound — tied together
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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