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. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. squash — to crush
  3. can — a tin
  4. swing — to play on
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. last — finally
  7. band — a music group
  8. swing — music
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. swing — in golf
  12. squash — the sport
  13. band — a ring
  14. bark — to shout
  15. last — final
  16. can — a tin
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. can — to be able to
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. last — to go on
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. squash — the vegetable

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