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: bound · wake · bore · race · spring · lean · chair · temple

  1. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  2. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. When was this ________________ built?
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. race — humankind
  3. race — a contest
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. bound — certain
  7. spring — the season
  8. spring — of water
  9. wake — a trail
  10. race — the arms race
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. chair — a leader
  14. bore — to tire
  15. bore — to drill
  16. bound — obliged
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. bound — tied together
  20. lean — to bend
  21. lean — thin
  22. spring — a coil
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. wake — before a funeral

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