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. The ________________ went through the wall.
  2. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  16. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  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. nail — for a hammer
  2. mug — to rob
  3. mug — a cup
  4. tear — from crying
  5. band — a music group
  6. band — a ring
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. rest — a break
  10. rest — what's left
  11. mug — a face
  12. bass — the fish
  13. rest — what's left
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. tear — from crying
  16. tear — to rip
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. branch — a division
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. branch — of a bank
  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