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. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. content — the amount
  3. bear — the animal
  4. prune — to trim
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. band — a music group
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. craft — boats
  10. band — a ring
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. prune — to trim
  13. pop — music
  14. stock — shares
  15. stock — goods
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. content — happy
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. pound — for dogs
  20. pop — to visit
  21. bear — the animal
  22. pop — soda
  23. pound — a weight
  24. craft — a skill

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