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. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  13. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. When was this ________________ built?
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. At ________________, we arrived at the village.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. last — final
  3. spring — the season
  4. bore — to tire
  5. season — of the year
  6. bound — obliged
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. bore — to drill
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. spring — of water
  13. spring — a coil
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. season — in sport
  19. band — a music group
  20. last — to go on
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. band — a ring
  23. bound — certain
  24. last — finally

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