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 120 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 little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  24. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. pop — to visit
  3. can — a tin
  4. spring — of water
  5. degree — an amount
  6. bear — the animal
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. march — the month
  9. pop — soda
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. march — the month
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. march — music
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. degree — temperature
  17. pop — music
  18. spring — a coil
  19. can — to be able to
  20. rush — hurry
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. can — a tin
  23. degree — from a university
  24. spring — the season

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