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. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. pop — soda
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. band — a ring
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. object — to protest
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. fine — all right
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. capital — a big letter
  13. pop — to visit
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. pop — music
  19. capital — a city
  20. band — a music group
  21. object — an aim
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. capital — money
  24. object — a thing

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