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: nail · tube · track · stem · date · trunk · bound · temple

  1. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. Have you settled on a ________________?
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  14. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. tube — a container
  5. bound — tied together
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. track — to keep track
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. temple — side of the head
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. track — a path
  16. tube — the underground
  17. track — a song
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. stem — to come from
  22. date — the fruit
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. bound — certain

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