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. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. rule — a law
  3. bound — obliged
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. bound — certain
  8. lean — to bend
  9. row — a quarrel
  10. bound — tied together
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. bulb — for light
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. bulb — for light
  15. row — to paddle
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. row — a line
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. pass — a permit
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. rule — government
  24. patient — a sick person

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