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. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. When are we going to ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. race — a contest
  3. land — a country
  4. bore — to drill
  5. bore — to tire
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. stand — to bear
  10. band — a ring
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. ball — a dance
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. ball — a great time
  17. race — humankind
  18. land — ground
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. race — the arms race
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. ruler — a monarch
  24. land — to come down

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