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. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  10. He was locked up in a ________________.
  11. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  12. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  13. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. court — of law
  6. wind — moving air
  7. court — for sport
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. cell — in biology
  10. cell — in a prison
  11. wind — moving air
  12. wind — to turn a key
  13. court — of a king
  14. prune — to trim
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. bound — certain
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. cell — a phone
  22. bound — obliged
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. prune — to trim

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