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: mug · spring · cell · land · can · rush · wax · bound

  1. He was locked up in a ________________.
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  11. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in a prison
  2. bound — certain
  3. spring — the season
  4. land — ground
  5. land — to come down
  6. bound — obliged
  7. can — to be able to
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. cell — in biology
  11. spring — of water
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. mug — a cup
  14. cell — a phone
  15. rush — hurry
  16. can — a tin
  17. mug — a face
  18. bound — tied together
  19. wax — to grow
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. can — a tin
  22. spring — a coil
  23. land — a country
  24. mug — to rob

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