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: straw · file · face · spring · drill · bear · pass · bound

  1. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — a coil
  2. bound — obliged
  3. face — to confront
  4. spring — the season
  5. drill — army training
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. file — a line of people
  8. drill — a practice
  9. file — a tool
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. drill — the tool
  14. face — to point toward
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. bear — the animal
  17. pass — a permit
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. bound — certain
  20. face — part of the head
  21. bound — tied together
  22. spring — of water
  23. file — a document
  24. bear — the animal

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