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 120 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: band · straw · wax · pass · cabinet · pit · content · bound

  1. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. content — happy
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. pass — a permit
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. band — a ring
  7. bound — tied together
  8. content — the amount
  9. pit — in a race
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. band — a music group
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. wax — to grow
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. bound — obliged
  22. pit — a hole
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. bound — certain

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