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: patient · bound · face · stick · cell · bulb · cap · firm

  1. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. He was locked up in a ________________.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. firm — decided
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. face — to confront
  6. bound — certain
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. face — to point toward
  9. cap — a lid
  10. cell — in biology
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. cell — in a prison
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. bound — tied together
  16. face — part of the head
  17. firm — steady
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. cap — a hat
  20. cell — a phone
  21. bound — obliged
  22. firm — a company
  23. cap — of ice
  24. bulb — for light

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