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: arm · wound · last · spring · nail · kick · perch · bound

  1. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  21. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. spring — the season
  3. spring — of water
  4. kick — in football
  5. last — finally
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. last — to go on
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. perch — the fish
  10. bound — obliged
  11. last — final
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. bound — tied together
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. wound — an injury
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. spring — a coil
  19. bound — certain
  20. wound — past of 'wind'
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. wound — an injury
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. kick — with a leg

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