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: net · bound · racket · mouse · lash · rush · lie · degree

  1. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. degree — from a university
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. lie — to recline
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. rush — hurry
  11. bound — tied together
  12. degree — temperature
  13. net — after costs
  14. net — for catching
  15. degree — an amount
  16. net — in sport
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. bound — certain
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. rush — a thrill

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