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 120 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: lie · wax · press · bound · patient · cell · object · band

  1. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. He was locked up in a ________________.
  15. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. object — a thing
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. bound — certain
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. object — to protest
  8. band — a ring
  9. press — to push
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. press — newspapers
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. cell — in a prison
  15. cell — a phone
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. cell — in biology
  18. band — a music group
  19. lie — to recline
  20. wax — to grow
  21. object — an aim
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. bound — tied together
  24. press — a publisher

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