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. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  2. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. chest — of your body
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. bore — to tire
  5. pit — in a race
  6. bass — the fish
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. chest — of your body
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. pit — a hole
  11. perch — the fish
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. chest — a box
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. ball — a dance
  19. ball — a great time
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. band — a ring
  22. bore — to drill
  23. bass — low music
  24. bore — gave birth

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