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 116 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 ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. When are we going to ________________?
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. rest — what's left
  3. rock — music
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. present — a gift
  7. present — there
  8. band — a ring
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. rock — a stone
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. cap — of ice
  13. land — ground
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. land — a country
  17. present — the time now
  18. wake — a trail
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. cap — a lid
  21. cap — a hat
  22. rest — a break
  23. land — to come down
  24. band — a music group

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