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. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. band — a ring
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. sharp — clever
  6. pop — to visit
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. spell — letters
  9. spell — a short time
  10. band — a music group
  11. spring — a coil
  12. pop — music
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. spell — magic
  16. rush — hurry
  17. spring — of water
  18. spring — the season
  19. present — the time now
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. pop — soda
  24. present — a gift

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