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 still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  2. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a ring
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. march — music
  4. march — the month
  5. march — the month
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. mine — for digging
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. hand — help
  13. band — a music group
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. pass — a permit
  16. rock — music
  17. snap — to click
  18. snap — to speak sharply
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. temple — side of the head
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. rock — a stone
  24. hand — in cards

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