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 still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  2. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  21. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a ring
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. wind — moving air
  4. key — in music
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. key — the most important part
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. key — for a lock
  9. march — the month
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. march — music
  14. march — the month
  15. wind — moving air
  16. stand — to bear
  17. band — a music group
  18. wind — to turn a key
  19. lie — to recline
  20. tear — from crying
  21. tear — to rip
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. tear — from crying
  24. kick — in football

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