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've got to change the light ________________.
  2. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. My father caught me by the ________________.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. club — for golf
  3. bound — obliged
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. bulb — for light
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. wound — an injury
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. wound — an injury
  13. bound — tied together
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. club — for dancing
  16. club — a group
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. stand — to bear
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. arm — a part of something
  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