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. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  10. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. hand — help
  3. club — for dancing
  4. race — humankind
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. dip — to sink
  7. race — the arms race
  8. track — a song
  9. jam — to spread on bread
  10. race — a contest
  11. track — to keep track
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. bore — to drill
  14. band — a ring
  15. hand — in cards
  16. club — for golf
  17. jam — in traffic
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. club — a group
  20. bore — to tire
  21. jam — a tight spot
  22. band — a music group
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. track — a path

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