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 · bound · lie · bear · rest · bore · bat · racket

  1. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. bear — the animal
  5. bat — in an idiom
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. bat — the animal
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. rest — a break
  10. bound — tied together
  11. bound — certain
  12. bat — for baseball
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. rest — what's left
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. rest — what's left
  18. lie — to recline
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. bore — to drill
  21. bound — obliged
  22. bore — to tire
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. racket — for tennis

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