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: fall · object · row · key · bound · club · content · rock

  1. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. object — a thing
  3. content — happy
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. object — to protest
  6. club — a group
  7. bound — obliged
  8. fall — the season
  9. key — the most important part
  10. content — the amount
  11. club — for golf
  12. rock — music
  13. row — a line
  14. club — for dancing
  15. key — for a lock
  16. row — to paddle
  17. bound — tied together
  18. fall — to drop
  19. key — in music
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. fall — to drop
  22. bound — certain
  23. rock — a stone
  24. content — videos and posts

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