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 put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. rash — hasty
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. can — to be able to
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. pound — to hit hard
  8. saw — the tool
  9. band — a music group
  10. rash — a series
  11. charge — in control
  12. pound — a weight
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. saw — the tool
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. can — a tin
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. can — a tin
  19. charge — electricity
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. lean — to bend
  22. band — a ring
  23. lean — thin
  24. charge — a price

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