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

Word bank: fall · bound · net · can · lean · ground · scale · spell

  1. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. ground — the earth
  3. spell — magic
  4. can — a tin
  5. can — a tin
  6. fall — the season
  7. net — for catching
  8. scale — in music
  9. spell — letters
  10. can — to be able to
  11. scale — size or range
  12. lean — to bend
  13. fall — to drop
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. net — after costs
  16. bound — tied together
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. ground — a position
  19. lean — thin
  20. bound — obliged
  21. spell — a short time
  22. net — in sport
  23. ground — crushed
  24. fall — to drop

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