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. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  24. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. band — a ring
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. bear — the animal
  8. capital — a city
  9. bound — obliged
  10. cue — a hint
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. cue — a signal
  14. bound — tied together
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. bound — certain
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. band — a music group
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. cue — for pool
  23. capital — money
  24. capital — a big letter

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