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 sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — to turn a key
  2. bear — the animal
  3. bound — obliged
  4. bound — certain
  5. key — in music
  6. shower — to wash
  7. rock — music
  8. key — the most important part
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. bear — the animal
  11. key — for a lock
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. wind — moving air
  14. root — of a plant
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. root — of a word
  17. wind — moving air
  18. bound — tied together
  19. shower — rain
  20. root — the cause
  21. rock — a stone
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. shower — a meteor shower
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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