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: mouse · bound · chair · spell · trunk · calf · spring · band

  1. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  7. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. chair — a professorship
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. spell — magic
  5. bound — obliged
  6. chair — a leader
  7. chair — to sit on
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. spring — a coil
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. bound — tied together
  14. band — a ring
  15. spell — a short time
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. band — a music group
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. spring — the season
  23. spring — of water
  24. bound — certain

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