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. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. bound — tied together
  3. field — for sport
  4. object — to protest
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. mark — a trace
  7. bulb — for light
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. ball — a great time
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. ball — a dance
  13. bound — obliged
  14. bound — certain
  15. field — farmland
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. object — an aim
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. bulb — for light
  20. mark — a grade
  21. field — a subject
  22. object — a thing
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. rush — to hurry

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