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: lie · coach · bound · net · lean · fall · leaves · clip

  1. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. net — after costs
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. clip — for paper
  5. fall — to drop
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. lean — to bend
  8. net — for catching
  9. lie — to recline
  10. lean — thin
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. fall — to drop
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. fall — the season
  16. bound — certain
  17. bound — obliged
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. clip — to cut
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. net — in sport
  24. clip — a video

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