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: saw · bore · hide · cap · spell · toast · bound · wound

  1. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. toast — bread
  3. cap — a lid
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. wound — an injury
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. toast — the most admired
  8. wound — an injury
  9. bound — tied together
  10. saw — the tool
  11. spell — magic
  12. spell — a short time
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. spell — letters
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. bore — to tire
  19. cap — of ice
  20. saw — the tool
  21. bound — certain
  22. toast — a drink to someone
  23. cap — a hat
  24. bore — to drill

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