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 120 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 · bound · game · mouse · bear · calf · prune · tear

  1. That was a fun ________________.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. bound — certain
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. tear — from crying
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. tear — from crying
  8. bound — obliged
  9. bound — tied together
  10. prune — to trim
  11. prune — to trim
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. bore — to tire
  15. bear — the animal
  16. bear — the animal
  17. bore — to drill
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. tear — to rip
  22. game — wild animals
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. game — a kind of play

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