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. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. rock — a stone
  3. band — a music group
  4. chest — of your body
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. squash — the sport
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. chest — of your body
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. ball — a great time
  11. band — a ring
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. chest — a box
  16. rule — a law
  17. rule — government
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. squash — to crush
  20. ball — a dance
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. wax — to grow
  23. rock — music
  24. wave — of the sea

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