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: club · hide · bear · bound · rule · press · craft · wind

  1. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. wind — moving air
  3. bear — the animal
  4. craft — boats
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. wind — moving air
  8. press — to push
  9. rule — a law
  10. wind — to turn a key
  11. club — for golf
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. bound — certain
  14. press — newspapers
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. rule — government
  19. club — a group
  20. press — a publisher
  21. bound — obliged
  22. craft — a skill
  23. bound — tied together
  24. club — for dancing

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