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. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  20. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. band — a music group
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. current — electric
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. file — a tool
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. present — a gift
  9. bound — certain
  10. present — there
  11. current — of water
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. file — a document
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. bound — tied together
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. present — the time now
  19. band — a ring
  20. file — a line of people
  21. current — happening now
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  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