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: patient · kick · pass · object · bound · spring · fine · bulb

  1. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. object — to protest
  5. pass — a permit
  6. fine — high quality
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. spring — a coil
  10. bulb — for light
  11. fine — all right
  12. bound — tied together
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. object — a thing
  16. kick — in football
  17. bound — obliged
  18. bulb — for light
  19. spring — of water
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. bound — certain
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. spring — the season

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