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 party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. rash — hasty
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. band — a music group
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. cap — a lid
  8. scale — size or range
  9. cap — of ice
  10. row — to paddle
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. scale — in music
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. rock — music
  16. wake — a trail
  17. row — a line
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. band — a ring
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. cap — a hat
  23. rock — a stone
  24. vault — a safe

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