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: bound · fall · drill · snap · trunk · stem · spell · last

  1. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. last — final
  2. bound — certain
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. fall — to drop
  8. fall — the season
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. bound — tied together
  11. drill — the tool
  12. drill — a practice
  13. last — to go on
  14. drill — army training
  15. snap — to click
  16. last — finally
  17. spell — a short time
  18. fall — to drop
  19. stem — to come from
  20. spell — letters
  21. spell — magic
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. bound — obliged
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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