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. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  17. He was locked up in a ________________.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  20. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  21. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. wind — moving air
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. band — a ring
  6. bore — to tire
  7. bore — to drill
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. bear — the animal
  11. mine — for digging
  12. field — farmland
  13. field — for sport
  14. bear — the animal
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. cell — in biology
  17. cell — in a prison
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. field — a subject
  20. wind — to turn a key
  21. cell — a phone
  22. band — a music group
  23. wind — moving air
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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