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 120 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. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. He was locked up in a ________________.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a ring
  2. pop — soda
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. cell — a phone
  5. pop — music
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. cell — in a prison
  8. key — for a lock
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. bore — to tire
  11. band — a music group
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. bore — to drill
  14. key — the most important part
  15. lean — to bend
  16. ball — a great time
  17. lean — thin
  18. ball — a dance
  19. pound — a weight
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. pound — for dogs
  22. pop — to visit
  23. cell — in biology
  24. key — in music

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