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 116 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 partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. bear — the animal
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. vault — a safe
  8. bear — the animal
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. bound — obliged
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. bound — certain
  17. lie — to recline
  18. band — a ring
  19. bound — tied together
  20. present — the time now
  21. band — a music group
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. present — a gift
  24. coach — a trainer

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