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 still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a ring
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. mine — for digging
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. mate — to breed
  6. rest — what's left
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. current — of water
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. mate — a partner
  14. rest — what's left
  15. mate — a friend
  16. current — happening now
  17. band — a music group
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. rest — a break
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. current — electric
  24. mine — an explosive

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