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: staff · bowl · wind · bound · lie · racket · straw · trunk

  1. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  24. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. bound — obliged
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. wind — moving air
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. bound — certain
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. staff — a stick
  13. lie — to recline
  14. straw — dry grass
  15. bound — tied together
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. wind — moving air
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. staff — employees
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. wind — to turn a key
  24. straw — to clutch at straws

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