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: lean · bound · chair · pop · bulb · firm · stand · hand

  1. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. hand — in cards
  3. bulb — for light
  4. firm — a company
  5. pop — to visit
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. pop — music
  8. chair — a leader
  9. pop — soda
  10. chair — to sit on
  11. firm — steady
  12. firm — decided
  13. bound — tied together
  14. bound — certain
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. lean — to bend
  18. hand — help
  19. stand — to bear
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. chair — a professorship
  22. bulb — for light
  23. lean — thin
  24. bound — obliged

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