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

  1. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  7. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  8. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. We're on a ________________ here.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — of water
  2. bound — tied together
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. stand — to bear
  6. wind — moving air
  7. wind — to turn a key
  8. wind — moving air
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. roll — on a roll
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. roll — a cake
  15. spring — the season
  16. roll — a list
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. pound — a weight
  20. bound — obliged
  21. pound — for dogs
  22. perch — the fish
  23. spring — a coil
  24. bound — certain

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