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 muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. My father caught me by the ________________.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. bear — the animal
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. present — there
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. bore — to tire
  11. present — the time now
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. swing — music
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. swing — to play on
  17. bear — the animal
  18. present — a gift
  19. track — to keep track
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. swing — in golf
  22. bore — to drill
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. track — a song

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