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's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  9. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  10. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. band — a ring
  3. spell — magic
  4. band — a music group
  5. deal — to handle
  6. spell — a short time
  7. bound — obliged
  8. tear — from crying
  9. tear — to rip
  10. tear — from crying
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. bound — tied together
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. rock — music
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. spell — letters
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. bound — certain
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. rock — a stone

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