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 put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  21. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  22. Have you settled on a ________________?
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. toast — the most admired
  4. bass — the fish
  5. toast — a drink to someone
  6. saw — the tool
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. net — after costs
  9. band — a music group
  10. bat — the animal
  11. band — a ring
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. saw — the tool
  14. date — the fruit
  15. net — in sport
  16. toast — bread
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. net — for catching
  20. bat — in an idiom
  21. bat — for baseball
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. bass — low music
  24. leaves — lets stay

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