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. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. 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. rock — a stone
  2. pop — to visit
  3. band — a ring
  4. staff — employees
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. march — the month
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. march — the month
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. band — a music group
  13. march — music
  14. staff — employees
  15. pop — music
  16. rock — music
  17. tube — a container
  18. tube — the underground
  19. staff — a stick
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. pop — soda
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. 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