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. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. bound — obliged
  3. bound — tied together
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. mate — a friend
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. mate — a partner
  10. mate — to breed
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. sharp — clever
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. band — a music group
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. board — a committee
  21. board — to get on
  22. band — a ring
  23. bowl — a football final
  24. straw — dry grass

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