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. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. He was locked up in a ________________.
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. My father caught me by the ________________.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  24. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. toast — bread
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. cell — in a prison
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. bound — tied together
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. court — for sport
  9. toast — the most admired
  10. court — of a king
  11. toast — a drink to someone
  12. bulb — for light
  13. ground — crushed
  14. cell — in biology
  15. stem — to come from
  16. cell — a phone
  17. bound — obliged
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. ground — a position
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. bulb — for light
  22. ground — the earth
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. court — of law

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