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 120 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 assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. band — a ring
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. land — to come down
  6. chip — for betting
  7. bass — low music
  8. land — a country
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. fine — high quality
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. rock — a stone
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. rush — hurry
  17. land — ground
  18. chip — to eat
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. rock — music
  21. band — a music group
  22. perch — the fish
  23. bass — the fish
  24. fine — a penalty

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