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: rush · rash · mark · bound · root · key · pass · cell

  1. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. He was locked up in a ________________.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. cell — in a prison
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. mark — a grade
  5. key — in music
  6. cell — a phone
  7. bound — tied together
  8. rash — hasty
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. bound — obliged
  11. pass — a permit
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. root — the cause
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. key — the most important part
  17. rush — hurry
  18. key — for a lock
  19. mark — a trace
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. cell — in biology
  22. root — of a word
  23. root — of a plant
  24. rash — a series

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