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. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. fine — high quality
  3. pop — music
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. bound — certain
  7. sharp — clever
  8. stem — to come from
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. field — a subject
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. fine — all right
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. bear — the animal
  16. pop — to visit
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. pop — soda
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. field — for sport
  21. bound — tied together
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. field — farmland
  24. bound — obliged

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