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: field · pass · track · bark · cold · bound · trunk · safe

  1. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. The water is too ________________.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  18. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  19. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. bound — certain
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. track — to keep track
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. bark — to shout
  7. cold — not warm
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. bound — obliged
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. pass — a permit
  12. cold — an illness
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. track — a path
  17. field — a subject
  18. field — for sport
  19. cold — the Cold War
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. field — farmland
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. track — a song
  24. bound — tied together

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