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. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  19. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  22. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. ground — crushed
  3. degree — from a university
  4. stand — to bear
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. bound — certain
  10. bark — to shout
  11. race — humankind
  12. degree — an amount
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. bulb — for light
  16. bulb — for light
  17. ground — a position
  18. degree — temperature
  19. bark — of a tree
  20. ground — the earth
  21. race — a contest
  22. race — the arms race
  23. bound — obliged
  24. stand — on your feet

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