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's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. The water is too ________________.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  7. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. bound — tied together
  3. cold — not warm
  4. band — a ring
  5. bank — for money
  6. cold — an illness
  7. cold — the Cold War
  8. pitch — completely
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. bound — certain
  11. rule — a law
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. bound — obliged
  15. rule — government
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. bank — for money
  22. bank — of a river
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. fan — a supporter

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