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: bound · lean · kick · rest · mouse · mine · march · fan

  1. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. bound — obliged
  3. bound — tied together
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. mine — for digging
  6. rest — what's left
  7. rest — a break
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. march — the month
  13. lean — thin
  14. march — the month
  15. kick — in football
  16. march — music
  17. rest — what's left
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. bound — certain
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. lean — to bend
  24. mine — belonging to me

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