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 assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  4. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  24. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.

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. tear — to rip
  4. band — a music group
  5. club — for golf
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. bulb — for light
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. club — for dancing
  10. key — for a lock
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. key — in music
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. key — the most important part
  15. tear — from crying
  16. bark — to shout
  17. bulb — for light
  18. tear — from crying
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. fine — high quality
  21. club — a group
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. band — a rubber band
  24. bark — a dog's sound

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