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. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  19. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. band — a music group
  3. mug — to rob
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. band — a ring
  6. march — music
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. march — the month
  9. ground — the earth
  10. bass — the fish
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. kid — to tease
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. kid — child
  15. mug — a cup
  16. march — the month
  17. ground — a position
  18. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  19. band — a rubber band
  20. bass — low music
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. ground — crushed

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