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: bear · leaves · bore · pitcher · wound · bat · bound · hand

  1. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  12. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  13. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  14. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. bound — tied together
  3. hand — in cards
  4. bound — certain
  5. bat — in an idiom
  6. bear — the animal
  7. bound — obliged
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. bear — the animal
  11. bat — the animal
  12. wound — an injury
  13. wound — past of 'wind'
  14. bat — for baseball
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. bore — to drill
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. bore — to tire
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. wound — an injury
  24. hand — help

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