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. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. False peace will not ________________.
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. last — final
  3. race — a contest
  4. ball — a great time
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. bass — low music
  7. band — a ring
  8. bass — the fish
  9. last — finally
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. race — the arms race
  13. charge — electricity
  14. last — to go on
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. race — humankind
  20. charge — a price
  21. ball — a dance
  22. charge — in control
  23. band — a music group
  24. bass — the instrument

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