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: bound · straw · trunk · game · rash · fork · craft · root

  1. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  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. bound — obliged
  2. fork — in a road
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. game — a match
  5. craft — boats
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. root — the cause
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. bound — certain
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. rash — hasty
  12. straw — to clutch at straws
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. craft — a skill
  16. rash — a series
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. root — of a word
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. root — of a plant
  21. game — wild animals
  22. bound — tied together
  23. fork — to eat with
  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