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 put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  7. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. When are we going to ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. spring — the season
  4. charge — electricity
  5. band — a music group
  6. wind — to turn a key
  7. wind — moving air
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. spring — a coil
  10. charge — in control
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. spring — of water
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. wind — moving air
  16. dip — to sink
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. land — a country
  19. saw — the tool
  20. band — a ring
  21. land — ground
  22. saw — the tool
  23. charge — a price
  24. land — to come down

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