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 116 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: branch · mate · bound · mug · wake · bay · chair · content

  1. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  13. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. chair — a professorship
  4. bound — tied together
  5. content — happy
  6. bound — certain
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. mug — a cup
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. mate — a partner
  11. wake — a trail
  12. chair — a leader
  13. chair — to sit on
  14. branch — a division
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. mug — to rob
  18. mate — a friend
  19. content — the amount
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. mug — a face
  22. mate — to breed
  23. content — videos and posts
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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