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. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  10. False peace will not ________________.
  11. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  21. We're on a ________________ here.
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. spell — letters
  3. wake — a trail
  4. band — a music group
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. last — final
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. roll — a cake
  10. last — to go on
  11. roll — a list
  12. bore — to tire
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. band — a ring
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. rash — a series
  18. bore — to drill
  19. spell — magic
  20. last — finally
  21. roll — on a roll
  22. spell — a short time
  23. temple — side of the head
  24. rash — hasty

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