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: ball · bowl · ruler · lean · cold · trunk · charge · bound

  1. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. The water is too ________________.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — the Cold War
  2. ball — a great time
  3. lean — thin
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. bound — certain
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. cold — an illness
  11. charge — electricity
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. bound — obliged
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. cold — not warm
  17. bound — tied together
  18. charge — in control
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. lean — to bend
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. charge — a price
  24. ball — a dance

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