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 116 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 strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  24. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. bound — obliged
  3. content — the amount
  4. bound — certain
  5. band — a ring
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. bulb — for light
  10. wind — moving air
  11. club — for dancing
  12. club — a group
  13. bound — tied together
  14. wind — to turn a key
  15. content — happy
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. row — a line
  19. band — a music group
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. bulb — for light
  22. club — for golf
  23. band — a rubber band
  24. row — to paddle

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