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. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. staff — employees
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. ground — the earth
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. staff — a stick
  8. spell — a short time
  9. band — a music group
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. staff — employees
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. ground — crushed
  14. ground — a position
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. hand — in cards
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. band — a ring
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. stem — to come from
  22. spell — letters
  23. hand — help
  24. spell — magic

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