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 120 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: wind · patient · bound · bulb · pass · club · wound · snap

  1. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  2. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to click
  2. wind — moving air
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. club — a group
  5. wound — an injury
  6. pass — a permit
  7. wound — an injury
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. bound — tied together
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. wind — moving air
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. bound — obliged
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. club — for dancing
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. bulb — for light
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. bound — certain
  21. wind — to turn a key
  22. bulb — for light
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. club — for golf

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