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 116 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 · bear · bound · content · field · bulb · cold · pass

  1. The light ________________ burned out.
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. The water is too ________________.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  11. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. cold — not warm
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. field — for sport
  6. bulb — for light
  7. bound — obliged
  8. cold — the Cold War
  9. content — happy
  10. field — farmland
  11. field — a subject
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. content — the amount
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. bound — certain
  17. pass — a permit
  18. cold — an illness
  19. bear — the animal
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. bound — tied together
  24. bear — the animal

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