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 124 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. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  20. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. spell — magic
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. bulb — for light
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. club — for golf
  7. rest — what's left
  8. club — a group
  9. band — a ring
  10. spell — a short time
  11. club — for dancing
  12. field — farmland
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. field — a subject
  15. bulb — for light
  16. rest — what's left
  17. band — a music group
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. field — for sport
  20. arm — a part of something
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. rest — a break
  23. pound — a weight
  24. spell — letters

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