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. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  12. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  22. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  24. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a ring
  2. pit — a hole
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. lean — to bend
  5. snap — to click
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. lean — thin
  8. band — a music group
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. pound — for dogs
  12. toast — the most admired
  13. swing — music
  14. pit — in a race
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. swing — to play on
  18. pound — a weight
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. swing — in golf
  22. toast — bread
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  24. toast — a drink to someone

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