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. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  2. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. He was locked up in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — a phone
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. hand — in cards
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. club — for dancing
  6. hand — help
  7. band — a ring
  8. club — a group
  9. current — happening now
  10. rush — hurry
  11. current — electric
  12. kick — in football
  13. cell — in biology
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. current — of water
  16. club — for golf
  17. band — a music group
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. cell — in a prison

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