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 · ground · bulb · rush · rule · mouse · bark · foot

  1. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. bound — obliged
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. rule — a law
  9. bulb — for light
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. bark — to shout
  12. foot — a measure
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. rule — government
  16. ground — the earth
  17. bulb — for light
  18. bark — a dog's sound
  19. bound — tied together
  20. bound — certain
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. ground — a position
  24. ground — crushed

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