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 120 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. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  8. He was locked up in a ________________.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  12. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  13. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. cell — in biology
  3. pass — a permit
  4. rest — what's left
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. saw — the tool
  7. tear — to rip
  8. cell — in a prison
  9. firm — a company
  10. bound — certain
  11. tear — from crying
  12. cell — a phone
  13. tear — from crying
  14. rest — what's left
  15. saw — the tool
  16. firm — steady
  17. hand — help
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. rest — a break
  20. hand — in cards
  21. firm — decided
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. bound — tied together

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