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 116 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: kid · pass · ground · object · bulb · deal · bound · season

  1. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — to tease
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. bound — certain
  4. kid — child
  5. ground — the earth
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. deal — to handle
  10. object — to protest
  11. ground — crushed
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. season — of the year
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. ground — a position
  16. bulb — for light
  17. season — in sport
  18. bulb — for light
  19. bound — obliged
  20. bound — tied together
  21. pass — a permit
  22. object — an aim
  23. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  24. object — a thing

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