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. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  24. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. charge — a price
  3. race — a contest
  4. bank — of a river
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. bank — for money
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. bank — for money
  9. band — a rubber band
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. charge — in control
  13. bark — to shout
  14. mug — a cup
  15. mug — a face
  16. band — a ring
  17. charge — electricity
  18. bark — a dog's sound
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. sharp — clever
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. race — humankind
  23. mug — to rob
  24. race — the arms race

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