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. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. club — a group
  3. prune — to trim
  4. bound — tied together
  5. wind — moving air
  6. prune — to trim
  7. club — for golf
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. bank — for money
  10. wind — to turn a key
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. club — for dancing
  13. rest — what's left
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. bank — for money
  16. rest — a break
  17. chip — to eat
  18. bound — certain
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. chip — for betting
  21. wind — moving air
  22. bank — of a river
  23. rest — what's left
  24. dip — to sink

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