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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. land — ground
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. pop — to visit
  5. jam — to spread on bread
  6. bound — tied together
  7. land — to come down
  8. bear — the animal
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. bound — certain
  12. land — a country
  13. jam — in traffic
  14. pop — soda
  15. pop — music
  16. bound — obliged
  17. jam — a tight spot
  18. bear — the animal

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