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: chair · bore · dip · band · club · bound · bear · court

  1. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. bear — the animal
  4. bore — to drill
  5. court — of law
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. court — for sport
  8. band — a music group
  9. bore — to tire
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. bound — certain
  13. bound — obliged
  14. dip — to sink
  15. chair — a leader
  16. club — for dancing
  17. band — a ring
  18. chair — to sit on
  19. bound — tied together
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. club — a group
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. club — for golf
  24. court — of a king

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