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's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. rash — hasty
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. rash — a series
  11. ball — a great time
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. pound — a weight
  15. bank — for money
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. bank — of a river
  20. band — a ring
  21. bank — for money
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. ball — a dance
  24. pound — to hit hard

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