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 120 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. When was this ________________ built?
  2. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  5. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  21. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. band — a music group
  5. degree — an amount
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. pop — music
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. band — a ring
  11. degree — from a university
  12. pop — soda
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. bear — the animal
  15. snap — to click
  16. bear — the animal
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. pop — to visit
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. degree — temperature
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  24. nail — for a hammer

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