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. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. We're on a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a ring
  2. rock — music
  3. band — a music group
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. rash — a series
  7. roll — a cake
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. season — in sport
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. hand — help
  13. season — of the year
  14. hand — in cards
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. roll — a list
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. pass — a permit
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. rash — hasty
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. rock — a stone
  24. roll — on a roll

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