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: stick · tear · object · bound · net · pound · wake · mine

  1. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  22. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. net — for catching
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. wake — a trail
  5. bound — tied together
  6. object — an aim
  7. bound — certain
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. bound — obliged
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. net — after costs
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. object — to protest
  15. pound — a weight
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. pound — for dogs
  18. object — a thing
  19. tear — from crying
  20. mine — for digging
  21. mine — belonging to me
  22. tear — to rip
  23. net — in sport
  24. tear — from crying

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