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. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. band — a music group
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. drill — a practice
  7. march — the month
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. drill — army training
  10. can — to be able to
  11. saw — the tool
  12. can — a tin
  13. can — a tin
  14. drill — the tool
  15. ball — a dance
  16. band — a ring
  17. content — the amount
  18. content — happy
  19. ball — a great time
  20. saw — the tool
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. march — music
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. march — the month

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