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. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  21. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a ring
  2. swing — in golf
  3. fine — high quality
  4. pop — soda
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. pop — music
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. swing — music
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. fine — all right
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. stem — to come from
  16. swing — to play on
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. band — a music group
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. kid — child
  21. kid — to tease
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  24. pop — to visit

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