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. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. spell — letters
  5. spell — magic
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. object — to protest
  8. object — an aim
  9. spell — a short time
  10. root — of a word
  11. band — a music group
  12. can — to be able to
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. root — of a plant
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. can — a tin
  17. root — the cause
  18. band — a ring
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. bass — the fish
  22. bass — low music
  23. can — a tin
  24. bass — the instrument

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