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 120 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: swing · ball · wake · present · trunk · ruler · chair · bound

  1. The King held a masked ________________.
  2. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. chair — a professorship
  3. present — a gift
  4. wake — a trail
  5. bound — certain
  6. chair — a leader
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. ball — a great time
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. swing — to play on
  13. bound — tied together
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. chair — to sit on
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. swing — in golf
  20. present — the time now
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. present — there
  23. bound — obliged
  24. swing — music

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