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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: cabinet · club · race · tear · bound · leaves

  1. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  5. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. tear — to rip
  5. tear — from crying
  6. club — for golf
  7. race — a contest
  8. race — humankind
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. club — a group
  11. bound — tied together
  12. bound — certain
  13. club — for dancing
  14. bound — obliged
  15. tear — from crying
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. race — the arms race

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