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: bear · bound · present · bark · saw · object · rush · arm

  1. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. present — a gift
  3. bound — tied together
  4. present — there
  5. bark — to shout
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. arm — a part of something
  10. bound — certain
  11. object — a thing
  12. object — an aim
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. saw — the tool
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. saw — the tool
  18. object — to protest
  19. bear — the animal
  20. rush — hurry
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. bear — the animal
  23. present — the time now
  24. bark — a dog's sound

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