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 · bound · coach · ball · bark · chest · prune · rush

  1. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  17. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. bound — tied together
  4. bound — obliged
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. bark — to shout
  9. prune — to trim
  10. bound — certain
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. prune — to trim
  14. rush — hurry
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. chest — a box
  17. chest — of your body
  18. ball — a great time
  19. chest — of your body
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. bark — a dog's sound
  22. ball — a dance
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. bark — of a tree

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