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: pitcher · rule · scale · straw · bound · wind · rash · bear

  1. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  22. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. bear — the animal
  3. wind — to turn a key
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. rash — hasty
  7. bear — the animal
  8. wind — moving air
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. rash — a series
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. scale — size or range
  15. rule — a law
  16. bound — obliged
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. scale — in music
  21. wind — moving air
  22. rule — government
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. bound — certain

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