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. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. wake — a trail
  3. bulb — for light
  4. rash — hasty
  5. tear — to rip
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. bat — for baseball
  8. rash — a series
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. bat — the animal
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. bat — in an idiom
  14. bulb — for light
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. bound — certain
  17. tear — from crying
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. tear — from crying
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. board — a committee
  22. bound — tied together
  23. board — to get on
  24. foot — a measure

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