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's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  2. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. firm — steady
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. swing — music
  9. branch — a division
  10. firm — a company
  11. wax — to grow
  12. net — for catching
  13. swing — in golf
  14. net — in sport
  15. net — after costs
  16. cap — a hat
  17. band — a ring
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. cap — a lid
  22. firm — decided
  23. swing — to play on
  24. cap — of ice

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