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. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. We're on a ________________ here.
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  16. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a cake
  2. deal — to handle
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. board — to get on
  6. roll — on a roll
  7. band — a ring
  8. board — a committee
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. face — to confront
  11. band — a music group
  12. club — a group
  13. rush — hurry
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. roll — a list
  16. wind — moving air
  17. club — for dancing
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. wind — moving air
  20. face — to point toward
  21. face — part of the head
  22. wind — to turn a key
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. club — for golf

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