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 116 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: last · spring · lean · pitcher · stock · bound · firm · key

  1. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — a coil
  2. bound — obliged
  3. last — to go on
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. last — finally
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. bound — certain
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. stock — shares
  10. firm — steady
  11. lean — thin
  12. bound — tied together
  13. key — in music
  14. spring — of water
  15. firm — decided
  16. stock — goods
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. lean — to bend
  19. key — the most important part
  20. firm — a company
  21. key — for a lock
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. last — final
  24. spring — the season

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