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: bulb · rule · spell · straw · mug · fall · bound · saw

  1. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. saw — the tool
  3. fall — to drop
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. mug — to rob
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. spell — magic
  9. mug — a cup
  10. rule — government
  11. bound — certain
  12. bulb — for light
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. spell — letters
  15. mug — a face
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. fall — the season
  18. bulb — for light
  19. spell — a short time
  20. rule — to rule out
  21. fall — to drop
  22. saw — the tool
  23. rule — a law
  24. bound — tied together

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