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. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. bound — certain
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. spell — a short time
  7. spell — magic
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. rush — hurry
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. wind — moving air
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. march — music
  15. march — the month
  16. bound — tied together
  17. bound — obliged
  18. spell — letters
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. wind — moving air
  21. march — the month
  22. wind — to turn a key
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. bear — the animal

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