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 116 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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. bound — tied together
  6. land — to come down
  7. bound — certain
  8. land — a country
  9. kid — to tease
  10. band — a ring
  11. bound — obliged
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. kid — child
  14. land — ground
  15. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  16. band — a music group
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. mouse — the animal

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