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 still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  2. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a ring
  2. band — a music group
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. bound — obliged
  5. swing — to play on
  6. cap — of ice
  7. bass — the fish
  8. rest — a break
  9. squash — to crush
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. bound — tied together
  13. cap — a hat
  14. bass — low music
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. bound — certain
  18. swing — in golf
  19. rest — what's left
  20. swing — music
  21. squash — the sport
  22. rest — what's left
  23. cap — a lid
  24. wake — a trail

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