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. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. season — in sport
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. bound — tied together
  6. board — to get on
  7. rash — hasty
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. board — a committee
  10. season — of the year
  11. prune — to trim
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. game — wild animals
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. saw — the tool
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. bound — certain
  19. game — a match
  20. prune — to trim
  21. saw — the tool
  22. rash — a series
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. patient — a sick person

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