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 · mug · wind · clip · bulb · key · game · bound

  1. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  13. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  24. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. key — the most important part
  3. chair — a leader
  4. mug — a cup
  5. key — in music
  6. mug — to rob
  7. wind — to turn a key
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. bulb — for light
  10. clip — a video
  11. bulb — for light
  12. wind — moving air
  13. wind — moving air
  14. bound — certain
  15. key — for a lock
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. game — a match
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. bound — obliged
  20. mug — a face
  21. clip — for paper
  22. game — wild animals
  23. clip — to cut
  24. chair — to sit on

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