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: net · wind · firm · fall · plane · cap · bound · drill

  1. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  12. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. bound — obliged
  3. net — after costs
  4. firm — steady
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. cap — a lid
  7. fall — the season
  8. drill — a practice
  9. firm — a company
  10. firm — decided
  11. wind — moving air
  12. wind — moving air
  13. cap — of ice
  14. wind — to turn a key
  15. drill — the tool
  16. net — for catching
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. fall — to drop
  19. drill — army training
  20. fall — to drop
  21. bound — tied together
  22. plane — a tool
  23. net — in sport
  24. cap — a hat

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