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: hide · bound · fork · scale · bark · fan · bear · band

  1. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. bark — of a tree
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. scale — in music
  5. band — a music group
  6. band — a ring
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. bound — tied together
  9. bound — obliged
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. fork — in a road
  14. scale — size or range
  15. fork — a garden tool
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. bark — to shout
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. bear — the animal
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. bear — the animal

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