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

Word bank: bound · chest · wind · pass · bulb · hide

  1. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  3. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  9. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. wind — moving air
  3. chest — of your body
  4. bound — obliged
  5. bulb — for light
  6. bound — certain
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. chest — a box
  9. wind — to turn a key
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. chest — of your body
  12. bound — tied together
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. wind — moving air
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. pass — a permit
  18. hide — to keep secret

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