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 put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. band — a ring
  4. march — the month
  5. mug — a cup
  6. kick — in football
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. band — a music group
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. rash — a series
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. march — the month
  15. rash — hasty
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. mug — to rob
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. march — music
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. mug — a face
  22. scale — size or range
  23. scale — in music
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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