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. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. drill — army training
  3. club — a group
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. chest — a box
  6. band — a music group
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. band — a ring
  10. club — for dancing
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. bass — low music
  13. fine — high quality
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. drill — a practice
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. club — for golf
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. chest — of your body
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. chest — of your body
  22. drill — the tool
  23. bass — the fish
  24. fine — all right

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