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: staff · bulb · land · bear · band · saw · calf · wound

  1. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. When are we going to ________________?
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a ring
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. wound — an injury
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. land — ground
  6. staff — employees
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. staff — employees
  9. bulb — for light
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. bear — the animal
  14. bulb — for light
  15. land — a country
  16. saw — the tool
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. saw — the tool
  19. land — to come down
  20. band — a music group
  21. staff — a stick
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. bear — the animal
  24. wound — an injury

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