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. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  14. He was locked up in a ________________.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  21. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. bass — low music
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. ball — a dance
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. pitch — completely
  7. tear — to rip
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. band — a music group
  13. tear — from crying
  14. cell — in a prison
  15. ball — a great time
  16. band — a ring
  17. bass — the fish
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. cell — a phone
  21. tear — from crying
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. cell — in biology

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