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. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  2. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. band — a ring
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. perch — the fish
  6. land — ground
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. club — for dancing
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. land — a country
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. club — for golf
  15. stand — to bear
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. band — a music group
  19. pass — a permit
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. land — to come down
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. pass — to succeed

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