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. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. craft — a skill
  3. band — a music group
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. club — for golf
  6. last — final
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. last — to go on
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. vault — a safe
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. wound — an injury
  17. wound — an injury
  18. band — a ring
  19. last — finally
  20. craft — boats
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. club — for dancing

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