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 120 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. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. band — a music group
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. pop — soda
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. shower — to wash
  8. net — after costs
  9. march — the month
  10. shower — rain
  11. pop — music
  12. band — a ring
  13. march — music
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. march — the month
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. pop — to visit
  18. net — for catching
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. bass — the fish
  23. band — a rubber band
  24. net — in sport

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