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: spring · tear · bulb · bound · bore · bay · rock · coach

  1. The light ________________ burned out.
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. bulb — for light
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. rock — music
  6. tear — from crying
  7. spring — of water
  8. spring — a coil
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. tear — to rip
  11. bore — to tire
  12. bound — obliged
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. bound — tied together
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. tear — from crying
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. bound — certain
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. rock — a stone
  23. bore — to drill
  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