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 works in a ________________ mill.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. fine — high quality
  3. bass — the fish
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. pop — music
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. mine — for digging
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. game — a match
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. pop — to visit
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. game — wild animals
  14. band — a ring
  15. saw — the tool
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. fine — all right
  19. pop — soda
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. band — a music group
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. mine — an explosive
  24. bass — low music

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