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. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. bass — the fish
  5. cap — of ice
  6. wax — to grow
  7. spell — a short time
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. bass — low music
  14. craft — a skill
  15. band — a ring
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. spell — magic
  18. band — a music group
  19. cap — a hat
  20. spell — letters
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. cap — a lid

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