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. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  20. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  21. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. band — a ring
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. bound — certain
  6. clip — to cut
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. cue — a signal
  9. net — in sport
  10. bound — obliged
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. cue — for pool
  13. rock — a stone
  14. bound — tied together
  15. pound — a weight
  16. band — a music group
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. rock — music
  19. pound — to hit hard
  20. clip — a video
  21. clip — for paper
  22. cue — a hint
  23. net — for catching
  24. net — after costs

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