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 · bear · chest · hand · suit · ground · mate · ball

  1. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. bear — the animal
  4. mate — a friend
  5. bound — tied together
  6. bound — obliged
  7. hand — in cards
  8. mate — to breed
  9. ground — the earth
  10. ball — a great time
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. chest — a box
  13. mate — a partner
  14. bear — the animal
  15. ground — a position
  16. ground — crushed
  17. suit — clothes
  18. chest — of your body
  19. ball — a dance
  20. bound — certain
  21. suit — in cards
  22. hand — help
  23. chest — of your body
  24. bear — to put up with

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