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: temple · mug · bound · wind · bark · spell · stem · stand

  1. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  21. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. spell — magic
  4. bound — tied together
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. stem — to come from
  7. stand — to bear
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. spell — a short time
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. wind — moving air
  14. mug — to rob
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. spell — letters
  18. bark — of a tree
  19. mug — a cup
  20. wind — moving air
  21. wind — to turn a key
  22. bound — certain
  23. mug — a face
  24. bark — to shout

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