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. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  3. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  4. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. When are we going to ________________?
  20. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  21. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  22. We're on a ________________ here.
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. race — the arms race
  3. roll — a cake
  4. race — humankind
  5. club — a group
  6. game — a match
  7. race — a contest
  8. club — for golf
  9. land — a country
  10. rule — a law
  11. land — ground
  12. band — a music group
  13. pass — a permit
  14. band — a ring
  15. club — for dancing
  16. game — wild animals
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. land — to come down
  20. rule — government
  21. roll — a list
  22. roll — on a roll
  23. rule — to rule out
  24. pass — to succeed

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