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. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. track — a song
  3. prune — to trim
  4. ground — the earth
  5. band — a ring
  6. track — to keep track
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. stock — goods
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. prune — to trim
  11. ground — a position
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. hand — in cards
  15. lie — to recline
  16. hand — help
  17. track — a path
  18. band — a music group
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. ground — crushed
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. stock — shares
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. ruler — a monarch

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