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: toast · chair · sharp · fork · spring · mine · bore · bound

  1. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  12. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  18. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  19. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — a coil
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. sharp — clever
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. spring — of water
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. bound — certain
  9. fork — in a road
  10. mine — for digging
  11. toast — the most admired
  12. chair — a leader
  13. spring — the season
  14. bound — tied together
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. chair — to sit on
  18. chair — a professorship
  19. mine — belonging to me
  20. bore — to tire
  21. bore — to drill
  22. toast — bread
  23. bound — obliged
  24. toast — a drink to someone

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