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. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. march — music
  3. rash — hasty
  4. march — the month
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. chair — a leader
  8. key — for a lock
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. march — the month
  11. bulb — for light
  12. chair — to sit on
  13. key — in music
  14. bound — certain
  15. bound — obliged
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. bound — tied together
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. chair — a professorship
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. key — the most important part
  24. bulb — for light

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