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: snap · bound · mark · stem · pitcher · season · fan · wind

  1. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. wind — to turn a key
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. wind — moving air
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. season — in sport
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. bound — certain
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. mark — a trace
  17. season — of the year
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. wind — moving air
  20. snap — to click
  21. mark — a grade
  22. stem — to come from
  23. bound — tied together
  24. pitcher — a jug

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