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. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  19. Have you settled on a ________________?
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. He was locked up in a ________________.
  22. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. cell — in biology
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. cell — a phone
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. bound — certain
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. foot — a measure
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. cell — in a prison
  22. date — the fruit
  23. straw — a straw man
  24. bound — obliged

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