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: date · roll · object · bound · nail · tube · bear · cell

  1. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. We're on a ________________ here.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  9. He was locked up in a ________________.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. Have you settled on a ________________?
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a list
  2. bound — obliged
  3. bear — the animal
  4. bound — certain
  5. roll — on a roll
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. object — an aim
  8. roll — a cake
  9. cell — in a prison
  10. tube — a container
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. object — to protest
  13. cell — in biology
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. cell — a phone
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. tube — the underground
  18. bear — the animal
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. object — a thing
  21. date — the fruit
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. bound — tied together

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