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: bore · safe · bulb · band · game · trunk · wound · pound

  1. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. game — wild animals
  4. pound — a weight
  5. band — a music group
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. game — a match
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. band — a ring
  13. bulb — for light
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. bulb — for light
  17. pound — for dogs
  18. wound — an injury
  19. bore — to tire
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. bore — to drill
  23. wound — an injury
  24. pound — to hit hard

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