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: bound · lean · lie · calf · bear · cold · mine · vault

  1. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  4. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. The water is too ________________.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. cold — an illness
  4. cold — the Cold War
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. lean — thin
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. bear — the animal
  10. cold — not warm
  11. bound — obliged
  12. lean — to bend
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. mine — for digging
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. bear — the animal
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. lie — to recline
  22. bound — certain
  23. vault — a safe
  24. mine — an explosive

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