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. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  3. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  17. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. band — a ring
  2. tear — from crying
  3. capital — a city
  4. spell — letters
  5. club — a group
  6. club — for dancing
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. vault — a safe
  9. spell — a short time
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. band — a music group
  13. spell — magic
  14. tear — to rip
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. capital — a big letter
  17. capital — money
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. club — for golf
  22. tear — from crying
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. hide — to keep secret

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