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 asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  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. spell — magic
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. band — a music group
  4. can — a tin
  5. root — of a plant
  6. fine — all right
  7. band — a ring
  8. spell — a short time
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. spell — letters
  11. stand — to bear
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. root — of a word
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. root — the cause
  21. can — a tin
  22. fine — high quality
  23. can — to be able to
  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