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 put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  6. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. craft — boats
  3. craft — a skill
  4. band — a ring
  5. jam — in traffic
  6. jam — to spread on bread
  7. lean — thin
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. face — to confront
  10. staff — employees
  11. row — to paddle
  12. staff — a stick
  13. band — a music group
  14. jam — a tight spot
  15. face — to point toward
  16. lean — to bend
  17. row — a line
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. fine — all right
  20. face — part of the head
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. fine — high quality
  23. staff — employees
  24. lean — to rest against

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