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 strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. wind — moving air
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. race — the arms race
  5. wind — to turn a key
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. race — a contest
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. race — humankind
  12. saw — the tool
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. mine — for digging
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. band — a ring
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. band — a music group
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. saw — the tool
  22. wind — moving air
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. racket — for tennis

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