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. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. She's sitting on a gold ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. rash — hasty
  5. rash — a series
  6. rock — a stone
  7. wake — a trail
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. bat — the animal
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. bat — in an idiom
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. bound — certain
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. dip — to sink
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. bound — obliged
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. rock — music
  22. bat — for baseball
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. mine — for digging

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