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: bound · swing · spring · march · net · rock · kick · face

  1. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. kick — in football
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. spring — of water
  5. march — the month
  6. rock — a stone
  7. swing — music
  8. net — for catching
  9. swing — to play on
  10. march — the month
  11. swing — in golf
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. spring — the season
  15. bound — tied together
  16. rock — music
  17. march — music
  18. bound — certain
  19. bound — obliged
  20. net — after costs
  21. face — part of the head
  22. face — to confront
  23. spring — a coil
  24. face — to point toward

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