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. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  2. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — to sit on
  2. band — a ring
  3. band — a music group
  4. cap — of ice
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. cap — a lid
  7. key — for a lock
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. rock — music
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. cap — a hat
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. chair — a leader
  18. rock — a stone
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. mine — for digging
  21. key — the most important part
  22. key — in music
  23. safe — a strongbox
  24. safe — out of danger

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