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: chip · date · cue · lash · bound · trunk · ground · tear

  1. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. Have you settled on a ________________?
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  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. cue — a signal
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. ground — a position
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. cue — for pool
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. chip — for betting
  9. ground — the earth
  10. tear — from crying
  11. bound — certain
  12. cue — a hint
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. date — the fruit
  17. chip — to eat
  18. bound — tied together
  19. ground — crushed
  20. tear — from crying
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. tear — to rip
  23. trunk — of a car
  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