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. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  13. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  24. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. suit — in cards
  4. cap — a hat
  5. cap — a lid
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. field — farmland
  8. mark — a grade
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. spring — a coil
  11. band — a ring
  12. spring — of water
  13. field — a subject
  14. cap — of ice
  15. suit — to fit
  16. row — to paddle
  17. band — a music group
  18. mark — a trace
  19. drill — a practice
  20. field — for sport
  21. suit — clothes
  22. row — a line
  23. spring — the season
  24. drill — the tool

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