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 116 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: mine · pit · nail · bound · wake · lash · bowl · spell

  1. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. spell — a short time
  4. bound — tied together
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. pit — a hole
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. bound — obliged
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. pit — in a race
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. mine — for digging
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. spell — magic
  20. spell — letters
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. wake — a trail
  24. bound — certain

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