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. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. bound — certain
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. clip — to cut
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. clip — a video
  10. can — to be able to
  11. can — a tin
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. can — a tin
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. bound — obliged
  16. ball — a great time
  17. clip — for paper
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. fine — all right
  20. ball — a dance
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. fine — high quality
  23. bark — to shout
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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