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. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  2. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  8. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  9. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?

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

Answer key

  1. chest — a box
  2. tear — from crying
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. pitch — completely
  5. bank — of a river
  6. band — a ring
  7. chest — of your body
  8. degree — from a university
  9. chest — of your body
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. tear — to rip
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. bank — for money
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. tear — from crying
  19. band — a music group
  20. sharp — clever
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. degree — temperature
  23. bank — for money
  24. degree — an amount

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