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: board · sharp · present · bound · spring · scale · trunk · rash

  1. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. present — a gift
  4. scale — in music
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. rash — hasty
  7. present — the time now
  8. bound — certain
  9. sharp — clever
  10. spring — of water
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. board — a committee
  13. rash — a series
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. present — there
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. bound — tied together
  18. spring — the season
  19. board — to get on
  20. bound — obliged
  21. scale — size or range
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. spring — a coil
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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