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. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. band — a music group
  4. current — of water
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. mine — for digging
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. bore — to drill
  11. mark — a trace
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. band — a ring
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. current — happening now
  16. hand — in cards
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. mark — a grade
  19. bore — to tire
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. hand — help
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. current — electric
  24. racket — for tennis

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