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

Word bank: face · bound · land · perch · rash · staff · craft · bear

  1. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. bound — certain
  3. land — to come down
  4. land — ground
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. bound — obliged
  9. face — to confront
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. staff — employees
  12. bear — the animal
  13. face — part of the head
  14. land — a country
  15. craft — boats
  16. bound — tied together
  17. staff — employees
  18. craft — a skill
  19. rash — hasty
  20. face — to point toward
  21. bear — the animal
  22. perch — the fish
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. staff — a stick

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