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. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  19. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  23. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a leader
  2. mate — to breed
  3. craft — boats
  4. bank — of a river
  5. band — a music group
  6. bear — the animal
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. bear — the animal
  10. chair — to sit on
  11. mate — a friend
  12. bank — for money
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. mate — a partner
  15. wound — an injury
  16. craft — a skill
  17. bank — for money
  18. chair — a professorship
  19. band — a ring
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. wound — past of 'wind'
  23. wound — an injury
  24. bear — to put up with

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