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 116 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. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  2. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. He was locked up in a ________________.
  24. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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

Answer key

  1. rule — a law
  2. band — a music group
  3. drill — army training
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. swing — music
  6. drill — a practice
  7. band — a ring
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. lie — to recline
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. swing — in golf
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. swing — to play on
  15. cell — in biology
  16. rule — government
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. bound — obliged
  19. bound — tied together
  20. bound — certain
  21. drill — the tool
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. cell — in a prison
  24. cell — a phone

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