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 · rash · chest · calf · prune · fork · fine · march

  1. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  8. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. chest — a box
  3. bear — the animal
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. chest — of your body
  8. chest — of your body
  9. rash — hasty
  10. march — the month
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. fine — all right
  14. march — the month
  15. rash — a series
  16. march — music
  17. prune — to trim
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. fine — high quality
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. prune — to trim
  23. fork — in a road
  24. fork — to eat with

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