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 116 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. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. band — a music group
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. bat — the animal
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. charge — a price
  9. band — a ring
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. charge — electricity
  12. season — in sport
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. pitch — completely
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. current — of water
  17. bat — in an idiom
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. bat — for baseball
  20. season — of the year
  21. current — happening now
  22. charge — in control
  23. current — electric
  24. season — to add flavour

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