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. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  6. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. He was locked up in a ________________.
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — a phone
  2. bound — certain
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. bound — obliged
  5. chest — of your body
  6. chest — a box
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. cell — in a prison
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. bear — the animal
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. bear — the animal
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. bound — tied together
  16. root — of a word
  17. cell — in biology
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. root — of a plant
  20. root — the cause
  21. chest — of your body
  22. pitch — completely
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. pitch — a sales talk

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