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. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  6. He was locked up in a ________________.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a ring
  2. band — a music group
  3. ground — crushed
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. jam — in traffic
  6. cell — in a prison
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. jam — to spread on bread
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. stand — to bear
  11. bore — to drill
  12. ground — a position
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. jam — a tight spot
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. cell — in biology
  17. bore — to tire
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. mark — a grade
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. ground — the earth
  23. cell — a phone
  24. mark — a trace

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