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 120 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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  13. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  14. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  15. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a quarrel
  2. bound — tied together
  3. bulb — for light
  4. bound — certain
  5. degree — from a university
  6. row — to paddle
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. rush — hurry
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. march — music
  11. bulb — for light
  12. row — a line
  13. march — the month
  14. degree — temperature
  15. degree — an amount
  16. bound — obliged
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. march — the month

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