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. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  2. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  10. We're on a ________________ here.
  11. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. chest — a box
  2. band — a ring
  3. club — for dancing
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. club — for golf
  6. spell — a short time
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. chest — of your body
  10. roll — on a roll
  11. roll — a cake
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. chest — of your body
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. roll — a list
  16. ball — a great time
  17. ball — a dance
  18. spell — magic
  19. spell — letters
  20. can — a tin
  21. can — a tin
  22. band — a music group
  23. club — a group
  24. can — to be able to

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