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's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. We're on a ________________ here.
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  22. When was this ________________ built?
  23. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. band — a music group
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. band — a ring
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. roll — a cake
  9. spring — the season
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. fine — all right
  13. roll — on a roll
  14. club — for dancing
  15. spring — of water
  16. deal — to handle
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. fine — high quality
  19. band — a rubber band
  20. club — for golf
  21. roll — a list
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. spring — a coil
  24. cabinet — ministers

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