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. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. rock — music
  3. mine — for digging
  4. rock — a stone
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. band — a ring
  7. firm — steady
  8. firm — decided
  9. band — a music group
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. firm — a company
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. craft — boats
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. craft — a skill
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. mine — an explosive

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