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: fall · mouse · bound · net · cue · game · ground · lie

  1. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. bound — obliged
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. cue — a signal
  5. net — in sport
  6. lie — to recline
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. cue — a hint
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. ground — crushed
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. fall — the season
  15. ground — the earth
  16. net — after costs
  17. fall — to drop
  18. game — wild animals
  19. ground — a position
  20. net — for catching
  21. fall — to drop
  22. bound — tied together
  23. cue — for pool
  24. game — a match

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