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

  1. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. chest — a box
  5. bound — obliged
  6. lie — to recline
  7. object — a thing
  8. bound — tied together
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. chest — of your body
  11. ground — the earth
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. chest — of your body
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. stock — shares
  16. stock — goods
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. ground — crushed
  19. object — an aim
  20. bound — certain
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. ground — a position
  24. trunk — of a tree

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