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: trunk · march · field · ruler · ball · safe · chest · bound

  1. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  8. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  20. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. bound — certain
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. chest — a box
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. chest — of your body
  8. chest — of your body
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. march — the month
  11. bound — obliged
  12. march — music
  13. march — the month
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. ball — a dance
  16. bound — tied together
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. field — farmland
  20. field — a subject
  21. ball — a great time
  22. field — for sport
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. ball — a round shape

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