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. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  7. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  16. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. We're on a ________________ here.
  23. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  24. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. chest — of your body
  3. file — a document
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. band — a music group
  6. toast — the most admired
  7. roll — a cake
  8. file — a tool
  9. bound — obliged
  10. chest — of your body
  11. craft — a skill
  12. roll — a list
  13. band — a ring
  14. bound — tied together
  15. toast — bread
  16. toast — a drink to someone
  17. bound — certain
  18. deal — to handle
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. chest — a box
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. roll — on a roll
  23. file — a line of people
  24. craft — boats

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