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: lash · court · tube · bound · rock · lie · file · ground

  1. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. tube — the underground
  4. ground — the earth
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. file — a line of people
  8. bound — obliged
  9. rock — a stone
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. file — a tool
  12. ground — crushed
  13. court — of law
  14. rock — music
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. bound — certain
  18. ground — a position
  19. file — a document
  20. lie — to recline
  21. court — of a king
  22. bound — tied together
  23. court — for 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