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. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. band — a ring
  3. spell — letters
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. hand — help
  10. spell — a short time
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. hand — in cards
  13. spell — magic
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. bass — low music
  16. bass — the fish
  17. tube — a container
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. tube — the underground
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. band — a music group
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. band — a rubber band

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