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 120 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. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  19. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  20. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. band — a ring
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. rush — hurry
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. charge — electricity
  8. band — a music group
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. spell — letters
  11. charge — in control
  12. suit — in cards
  13. spell — a short time
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. spell — magic
  18. capital — money
  19. capital — a city
  20. capital — a big letter
  21. charge — a price
  22. suit — clothes
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. wave — with your hand

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