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. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. Is it ________________ for us to be here?

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. band — a music group
  4. mark — a grade
  5. band — a ring
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. mark — a trace
  9. prune — to trim
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. prune — to trim
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. hand — help
  16. hand — in cards
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. bark — to shout
  19. bound — obliged
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. bound — tied together
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. bound — certain
  24. safe — out of danger

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