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. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. Have you settled on a ________________?
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  22. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. bowl — a dish
  3. suit — in cards
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. bound — tied together
  6. suit — clothes
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. net — in sport
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. net — after costs
  11. net — for catching
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. bark — to shout
  14. chest — of your body
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. bound — certain
  18. suit — to fit
  19. chest — of your body
  20. plane — a tool
  21. chest — a box
  22. date — the fruit
  23. bark — of a tree
  24. plane — in geometry

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