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. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  11. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. pit — in a race
  4. track — to keep track
  5. spring — a coil
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. band — a music group
  8. band — a ring
  9. bear — the animal
  10. wound — an injury
  11. wound — an injury
  12. pit — a hole
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. spring — of water
  15. spring — the season
  16. wound — past of 'wind'
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. bear — the animal
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. track — a path
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. wake — a trail
  24. track — a song

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