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. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — help
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. rest — a break
  5. hand — in cards
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. spring — a coil
  13. rest — what's left
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. band — a ring
  16. spring — of water
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. wake — a trail
  19. spring — the season
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. band — a music group
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. stand — to bear
  24. rest — what's left

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