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. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. hand — in cards
  3. face — to point toward
  4. wake — a trail
  5. ball — a great time
  6. hand — help
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. degree — an amount
  9. ball — a dance
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. pitch — completely
  14. degree — temperature
  15. face — to confront
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. face — part of the head
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. band — a ring
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. degree — from a university
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. mouse — the animal

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