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. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  2. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  8. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  19. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  22. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. suit — clothes
  4. wind — moving air
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. kick — in football
  7. wind — moving air
  8. wind — to turn a key
  9. sharp — clever
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. cap — a lid
  15. suit — to fit
  16. suit — in cards
  17. cap — of ice
  18. tear — from crying
  19. tear — from crying
  20. stand — to bear
  21. band — a ring
  22. tear — to rip
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. cap — a hat

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