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's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. current — electric
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. current — of water
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. bass — the fish
  9. bass — low music
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. band — a ring
  13. bound — tied together
  14. bound — obliged
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. current — happening now
  19. face — to point toward
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. face — part of the head
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. face — to confront
  24. bound — certain

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