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 120 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. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. mark — a grade
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. bat — for baseball
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. mark — a trace
  8. season — in sport
  9. band — a ring
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. pass — a permit
  17. bat — the animal
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. season — of the year
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. rush — hurry
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. bat — in an idiom

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