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. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. swing — in golf
  3. rest — a break
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. band — a music group
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. net — after costs
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. rest — what's left
  10. net — for catching
  11. pound — for dogs
  12. swing — music
  13. pound — a weight
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. band — a ring
  16. swing — to play on
  17. rest — what's left
  18. net — in sport

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