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. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. press — a publisher
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. pit — a hole
  5. press — to push
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. wind — moving air
  9. pit — in a race
  10. wax — to grow
  11. wind — to turn a key
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. press — newspapers
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. band — a music group
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. wind — moving air
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. band — a ring
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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