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. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. rash — hasty
  3. staff — a stick
  4. object — a thing
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. shower — to wash
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. game — a match
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. staff — employees
  12. shower — rain
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. rush — hurry
  16. rash — a series
  17. game — wild animals
  18. staff — employees
  19. bound — certain
  20. bound — tied together
  21. object — to protest
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. object — an aim
  24. rash — on the skin

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