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: mouse · lie · bound · present · key · net · chest · nail

  1. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. key — for a lock
  3. chest — of your body
  4. present — the time now
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. chest — of your body
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. net — for catching
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. lie — to recline
  14. bound — tied together
  15. key — the most important part
  16. chest — a box
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. net — in sport
  19. bound — obliged
  20. net — after costs
  21. key — in music
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. present — there
  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