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: trunk · swing · cell · fine · straw · lean · bound · key

  1. He was locked up in a ________________.
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  24. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in a prison
  2. lean — thin
  3. cell — a phone
  4. bound — certain
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. fine — high quality
  7. swing — to play on
  8. key — in music
  9. fine — all right
  10. bound — tied together
  11. bound — obliged
  12. lean — to bend
  13. swing — music
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. key — for a lock
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. key — the most important part
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. swing — in golf
  23. straw — to clutch at straws
  24. cell — in biology

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