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. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a ring
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. branch — a division
  4. rash — hasty
  5. pitch — completely
  6. rash — a series
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. band — a music group
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. tube — the underground
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. foot — a measure
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. tube — a container
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. branch — of a tree

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