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: foot · club · field · land · bound · trunk · bulb · snap

  1. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. When are we going to ________________?
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to click
  2. bound — tied together
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. bound — obliged
  5. field — farmland
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. land — a country
  11. field — for sport
  12. club — for dancing
  13. bound — certain
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. land — ground
  17. club — for golf
  18. bulb — for light
  19. land — to come down
  20. bulb — for light
  21. club — a group
  22. foot — a measure
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. field — a subject

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