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: chair · bound · saw · wind · season · temple · can · rest

  1. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  3. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  20. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. chair — a professorship
  3. wind — moving air
  4. season — of the year
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. rest — what's left
  8. rest — a break
  9. rest — what's left
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. bound — certain
  12. can — to be able to
  13. wind — moving air
  14. bound — obliged
  15. saw — the tool
  16. season — in sport
  17. chair — a leader
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. chair — to sit on
  21. saw — the tool
  22. can — a tin
  23. wind — to turn a key
  24. can — a tin

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