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. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. bass — the fish
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. band — a ring
  5. field — farmland
  6. prune — to trim
  7. chair — a leader
  8. band — a music group
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. field — a subject
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. prune — to trim
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. chair — a professorship
  16. bass — low music
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. field — for sport
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. dip — to sink
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. chair — to sit on
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. dip — to dunk

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