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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: trunk · bear · club · ruler · cell · spring

  1. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. He was locked up in a ________________.
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. club — a group
  3. bear — the animal
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. club — for dancing
  6. club — for golf
  7. spring — the season
  8. cell — in a prison
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. cell — a phone
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. cell — in biology
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. spring — of water
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. spring — a coil
  18. ruler — for measuring

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