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: net · lean · trunk · pound · jam · roll · lash · bound

  1. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  19. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. We're on a ________________ here.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — to spread on bread
  2. lean — thin
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. net — after costs
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. net — for catching
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. jam — in traffic
  11. net — in sport
  12. jam — a tight spot
  13. bound — tied together
  14. pound — for dogs
  15. lean — to bend
  16. roll — a list
  17. pound — a weight
  18. pound — to hit hard
  19. roll — a cake
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. roll — on a roll
  22. bound — certain
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. bound — obliged

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