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 put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. game — a match
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. present — a gift
  5. ball — a great time
  6. content — the amount
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. present — there
  9. game — wild animals
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. band — a ring
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. firm — steady
  15. ball — a dance
  16. content — happy
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. band — a music group
  20. firm — a company
  21. present — the time now
  22. firm — decided
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. content — videos and posts

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