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. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. False peace will not ________________.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. spring — of water
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. spring — a coil
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. cap — of ice
  8. spring — the season
  9. perch — the fish
  10. cap — a hat
  11. pound — to hit hard
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. bound — certain
  16. pound — a weight
  17. last — final
  18. last — to go on
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. cap — a lid
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. bound — obliged
  23. last — finally
  24. foot — a measure

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