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. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. Have you settled on a ________________?
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. content — happy
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. content — the amount
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. bound — obliged
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. band — a music group
  10. game — wild animals
  11. fine — high quality
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. date — the fruit
  16. band — a ring
  17. bound — certain
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. fine — all right
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. game — a match
  24. bound — tied together

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