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: ball · trunk · staff · last · mouse · bound · rush · cold

  1. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  24. The water is too ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. last — finally
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. bound — tied together
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. last — final
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. bound — obliged
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. last — to go on
  13. staff — employees
  14. bound — certain
  15. cold — the Cold War
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. ball — a great time
  18. ball — a dance
  19. staff — a stick
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. rush — hurry
  22. staff — employees
  23. cold — an illness
  24. cold — not warm

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