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: land · firm · bound · bat · bore · stick · perch · cell

  1. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  2. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  17. He was locked up in a ________________.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — for baseball
  2. bat — the animal
  3. firm — decided
  4. cell — a phone
  5. land — a country
  6. perch — the fish
  7. bound — obliged
  8. land — to come down
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. bound — certain
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. bore — to tire
  14. cell — in biology
  15. firm — steady
  16. bat — in an idiom
  17. cell — in a prison
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. land — ground
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. firm — a company
  22. bound — tied together
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. bore — to drill

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