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: sharp · bulb · mug · club · chest · wake · bound · game

  1. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. bound — certain
  4. chest — a box
  5. game — wild animals
  6. club — for dancing
  7. game — a match
  8. chest — of your body
  9. mug — a face
  10. bulb — for light
  11. club — for golf
  12. wake — a trail
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. mug — a cup
  15. bound — obliged
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. sharp — clever
  20. bound — tied together
  21. chest — of your body
  22. bulb — for light
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. club — a group

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