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 train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. ball — a great time
  5. ball — a dance
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. rash — a series
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. band — a ring
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. perch — the fish
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. snap — to click
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. rash — hasty
  24. perch — for a bird

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