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: chest · staff · bound · season · deal · club · arm · pound

  1. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  11. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. staff — employees
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. deal — to handle
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. chest — a box
  8. club — for golf
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. chest — of your body
  11. pound — a weight
  12. bound — obliged
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. pound — for dogs
  15. staff — employees
  16. chest — of your body
  17. club — for dancing
  18. bound — tied together
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. season — in sport
  21. club — a group
  22. staff — a stick
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. season — of the year

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