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's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  10. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. rush — hurry
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. key — the most important part
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. bound — obliged
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. band — a rubber band
  10. degree — an amount
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. row — to paddle
  14. key — in music
  15. degree — temperature
  16. band — a ring
  17. key — for a lock
  18. degree — from a university
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. row — a line
  22. bound — certain
  23. bound — tied together
  24. wave — with your hand

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