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 still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  2. We're on a ________________ here.
  3. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  7. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  20. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a ring
  2. roll — on a roll
  3. kid — to tease
  4. object — an aim
  5. cue — a signal
  6. roll — a cake
  7. kid — child
  8. object — to protest
  9. file — a document
  10. cue — for pool
  11. band — a music group
  12. can — a tin
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. file — a line of people
  15. cue — a hint
  16. roll — a list
  17. object — a thing
  18. can — to be able to
  19. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  20. file — a tool
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. prune — to trim
  23. can — a tin
  24. prune — to trim

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