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: wake · saw · bound · bowl · key · chair

  1. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  2. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a leader
  2. bowl — a dish
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. chair — a professorship
  5. bound — certain
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. bound — obliged
  8. key — for a lock
  9. bound — tied together
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. wake — a trail
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. saw — the tool
  15. key — in music
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. key — the most important part
  18. saw — the tool

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