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 116 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 · pass · mine · ball · bear · snap · trunk · squash

  1. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. squash — to crush
  3. ball — a dance
  4. ball — a great time
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. bear — the animal
  10. snap — to click
  11. bound — tied together
  12. bear — the animal
  13. pass — a permit
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. bound — obliged
  16. squash — the sport
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. mine — belonging to me
  20. mine — for digging
  21. bound — certain
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. trunk — 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