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: arm · spell · date · net · bound · land · jam · tube

  1. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. Have you settled on a ________________?
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  14. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  24. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. bound — obliged
  3. land — a country
  4. bound — certain
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. net — in sport
  8. net — for catching
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. spell — magic
  12. net — after costs
  13. date — the fruit
  14. jam — a tight spot
  15. spell — a short time
  16. land — ground
  17. jam — to spread on bread
  18. tube — the underground
  19. bound — tied together
  20. land — to come down
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. spell — letters
  23. jam — in traffic
  24. date — on the calendar

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