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. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. bound — tied together
  5. wake — a trail
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. drill — army training
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. net — for catching
  11. net — after costs
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. bound — certain
  17. drill — the tool
  18. drill — a practice
  19. face — to point toward
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. face — to confront
  22. face — part of the head
  23. net — in sport
  24. lash — an eyelash

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