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 116 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: lie · net · trunk · board · spring · fork · tear · ruler

  1. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. tear — to rip
  3. lie — to recline
  4. spring — the season
  5. net — for catching
  6. fork — in a road
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. spring — of water
  10. net — in sport
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. board — to get on
  13. tear — from crying
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. tear — from crying
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. net — after costs
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. board — a committee
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. spring — a coil

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