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 120 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: plane · tube · calf · swing · wound · bound · season · snap

  1. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. season — in sport
  3. snap — to click
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. wound — an injury
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. bound — certain
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. season — of the year
  11. swing — to play on
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. bound — obliged
  14. swing — music
  15. plane — a tool
  16. tube — a container
  17. tube — the underground
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. wound — an injury
  20. bound — tied together
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. swing — in golf
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. calf — a young animal

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