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: field · wind · rest · arm · charge · bound · perch · fine

  1. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  9. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. wind — to turn a key
  3. fine — high quality
  4. charge — electricity
  5. charge — a price
  6. rest — a break
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. wind — moving air
  9. field — a subject
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. perch — the fish
  14. field — for sport
  15. field — farmland
  16. rest — what's left
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. wind — moving air
  19. charge — in control
  20. arm — a part of something
  21. rest — what's left
  22. bound — obliged
  23. fine — all right
  24. bound — tied together

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