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. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a ring
  2. drill — a practice
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. fork — in a road
  6. drill — the tool
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. present — there
  9. wake — a trail
  10. game — a match
  11. drill — army training
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. lie — to recline
  15. present — the time now
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. band — a music group
  20. game — wild animals
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. present — a gift
  24. band — a rubber band

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