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. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. stock — goods
  3. hand — in cards
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. key — for a lock
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. key — the most important part
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. hand — help
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. pop — soda
  14. pop — music
  15. band — a ring
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. band — a music group
  18. mate — a friend
  19. stock — shares
  20. mate — a partner
  21. mate — to breed
  22. key — in music
  23. pop — to visit
  24. nail — on a finger

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