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. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. spell — letters
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. band — a music group
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. spell — magic
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. pound — a weight
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. bear — the animal
  13. bear — the animal
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. squash — the sport
  17. squash — to crush
  18. deal — to handle
  19. pound — for dogs
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. band — a ring
  23. spell — a short time
  24. bear — to put up with

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