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: fall · bear · club · pound · wake · toast · bound · can

  1. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. toast — bread
  3. bear — the animal
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. toast — the most admired
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. bound — tied together
  8. can — a tin
  9. bound — obliged
  10. bear — the animal
  11. can — a tin
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. club — for golf
  14. fall — to drop
  15. wake — a trail
  16. fall — to drop
  17. toast — a drink to someone
  18. fall — the season
  19. club — a group
  20. bound — certain
  21. can — to be able to
  22. pound — a weight
  23. pound — to hit hard
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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