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. That must've been a ________________.
  2. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  17. Have you settled on a ________________?
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. band — a ring
  5. prune — to trim
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. bound — tied together
  8. bound — certain
  9. bear — the animal
  10. bound — obliged
  11. wound — an injury
  12. bear — the animal
  13. band — a music group
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. fork — in a road
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. prune — to trim
  21. wound — an injury
  22. rush — hurry
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. date — the fruit

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