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. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  16. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. band — a music group
  3. mug — to rob
  4. land — a country
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. rush — hurry
  9. prune — to trim
  10. land — to come down
  11. band — a ring
  12. mug — a cup
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. fine — all right
  15. chair — a professorship
  16. chair — to sit on
  17. chair — a leader
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. mark — a trace
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. prune — to trim
  22. mug — a face
  23. fine — high quality
  24. land — ground

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