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 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. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. foot — a measure
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. file — a document
  6. charge — electricity
  7. pit — in a race
  8. charge — in control
  9. band — a ring
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. file — a line of people
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. file — a tool
  14. charge — a price
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. band — a music group
  17. pound — a weight
  18. pit — a hole

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