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. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  2. He was locked up in a ________________.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  19. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — a phone
  2. cell — in a prison
  3. bore — to tire
  4. suit — in cards
  5. suit — to fit
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. spell — magic
  8. pitch — completely
  9. bound — tied together
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. bound — certain
  12. spell — letters
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. spell — a short time
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. spring — a coil
  19. cell — in biology
  20. spring — the season
  21. bound — obliged
  22. bore — to drill
  23. spring — of water
  24. suit — clothes

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