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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. pop — to visit
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. tube — a container
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. bound — obliged
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. lie — to recline
  9. bass — low music
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. pop — music
  13. bound — tied together
  14. pop — soda
  15. wound — an injury
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. temple — side of the head
  19. tube — the underground
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. wound — an injury
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. bass — the fish
  24. lash — to lash out

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