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: spring · ruler · wound · bound · row · chest · cell · plane

  1. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. He was locked up in a ________________.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  13. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  16. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  24. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. plane — a tool
  3. chest — a box
  4. spring — the season
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. row — to paddle
  7. bound — obliged
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. wound — an injury
  10. cell — in a prison
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. row — a line
  13. spring — a coil
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. cell — in biology
  16. cell — a phone
  17. wound — an injury
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. spring — of water
  20. bound — tied together
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. bound — certain
  23. wound — past of 'wind'
  24. chest — of your body

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