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: bound · safe · bear · bowl · date · field · kid · root

  1. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  3. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. Have you settled on a ________________?
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. field — a subject
  4. bear — the animal
  5. date — the fruit
  6. bound — tied together
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. root — of a word
  9. kid — to tease
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. bound — obliged
  12. field — farmland
  13. field — for sport
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. root — of a plant
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. kid — child
  22. bear — the animal
  23. root — the cause
  24. kid — young goat (kid gloves)

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