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. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. band — a music group
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. present — there
  7. present — a gift
  8. prune — to trim
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. present — the time now
  11. game — wild animals
  12. prune — to trim
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. game — a match
  16. band — a ring
  17. shower — to wash
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. shower — rain
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. safe — a strongbox
  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