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. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  19. Have you settled on a ________________?
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. mine — for digging
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. firm — decided
  9. band — a ring
  10. rock — a stone
  11. saw — the tool
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. date — the fruit
  14. firm — a company
  15. firm — steady
  16. saw — the tool
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. band — a music group
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. rock — music
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. mine — belonging to me

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