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. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. wind — moving air
  3. mark — a grade
  4. firm — decided
  5. bass — low music
  6. firm — steady
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. firm — a company
  9. bound — obliged
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. spring — a coil
  12. bound — tied together
  13. spring — of water
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. spring — the season
  17. mark — a trace
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. wind — to turn a key
  22. bass — the fish
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. wind — moving air

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