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. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. pop — soda
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. tube — the underground
  6. pop — to visit
  7. tube — a container
  8. wake — a trail
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. deal — to handle
  11. band — a music group
  12. pop — music
  13. mug — a face
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. band — a ring
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. mug — a cup
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. bore — to tire
  22. mug — to rob
  23. bore — to drill
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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