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: bound · can · court · mug · wind · patient · bowl · spring

  1. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  2. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  12. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a dish
  2. mug — to rob
  3. can — a tin
  4. bound — certain
  5. bound — obliged
  6. spring — a coil
  7. wind — moving air
  8. can — a tin
  9. can — to be able to
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. wind — moving air
  12. spring — of water
  13. mug — a face
  14. court — of law
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. wind — to turn a key
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. bound — tied together
  19. court — of a king
  20. spring — the season
  21. court — for sport
  22. mug — a cup
  23. bowl — to roll
  24. bowl — a football final

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