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. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. charge — in control
  4. band — a music group
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. mug — a cup
  7. wound — an injury
  8. charge — electricity
  9. march — the month
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. vault — a safe
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. band — a ring
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. saw — the tool
  17. saw — the tool
  18. charge — a price
  19. mug — a face
  20. march — the month
  21. wound — an injury
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. march — music
  24. ruler — a monarch

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