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. David sat on the ________________.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. He was locked up in a ________________.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — to play on
  2. bound — obliged
  3. band — a music group
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. track — a song
  6. bound — certain
  7. cell — in biology
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. bound — tied together
  10. swing — music
  11. game — a match
  12. game — wild animals
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. current — electric
  15. current — happening now
  16. band — a ring
  17. current — of water
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. cell — in a prison
  20. track — to keep track
  21. cell — a phone
  22. track — a path
  23. swing — in golf
  24. nail — for a hammer

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