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 put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  2. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. mug — a face
  3. chest — a box
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. band — a ring
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. court — of a king
  8. chest — of your body
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. chest — of your body
  11. net — after costs
  12. net — in sport
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. scale — size or range
  15. wax — to grow
  16. band — a music group
  17. mug — a cup
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. court — of law
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. court — for sport
  22. net — for catching
  23. scale — in music
  24. mug — to rob

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