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. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. bear — the animal
  3. band — a music group
  4. kid — child
  5. bear — the animal
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. wake — a trail
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. key — in music
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. key — for a lock
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. kid — to tease
  15. bass — low music
  16. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  17. present — there
  18. bass — the fish
  19. key — the most important part
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. band — a ring
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. present — a gift
  24. bass — the instrument

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