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 120 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. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  17. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. band — a music group
  3. bass — low music
  4. clip — to cut
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. cue — a signal
  7. band — a ring
  8. club — a group
  9. cue — a hint
  10. rash — hasty
  11. mark — a trace
  12. mark — a grade
  13. vault — a safe
  14. club — for dancing
  15. bass — the fish
  16. clip — for paper
  17. clip — a video
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. rash — a series
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. club — for golf
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. cue — for pool
  24. vault — in gymnastics

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