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: rush · suit · mine · bound · lean · land · march · dip

  1. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. When are we going to ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. lean — thin
  3. suit — clothes
  4. suit — to fit
  5. march — the month
  6. march — the month
  7. dip — to sink
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. bound — obliged
  10. land — a country
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. march — music
  14. mine — for digging
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. land — ground
  18. bound — certain
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. rush — hurry
  21. lean — to bend
  22. bound — tied together
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. land — to come down

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