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. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. He was locked up in a ________________.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. board — to get on
  3. bound — obliged
  4. file — a document
  5. bound — tied together
  6. bear — the animal
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. file — a line of people
  12. cell — a phone
  13. board — a committee
  14. bulb — for light
  15. wake — a trail
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. file — a tool
  18. rash — a series
  19. bear — the animal
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. cell — in a prison
  22. bound — certain
  23. bulb — for light
  24. cell — in biology

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