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 116 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 can't ________________ this cold.
  3. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. stand — to bear
  3. capital — a big letter
  4. track — a path
  5. net — after costs
  6. track — to keep track
  7. net — in sport
  8. capital — a city
  9. bear — the animal
  10. capital — money
  11. craft — a skill
  12. bear — the animal
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. net — for catching
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. band — a ring
  20. craft — boats
  21. snap — to click
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. track — a song
  24. band — a music group

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