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 put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. root — of a plant
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. band — a ring
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. ball — a great time
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. cue — a hint
  11. cue — a signal
  12. wound — an injury
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. cue — for pool
  15. rush — hurry
  16. wound — an injury
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. ball — a dance
  19. snap — to click
  20. band — a music group
  21. wax — to grow
  22. root — the cause
  23. root — of a word
  24. wax — for sculpting

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