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. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. ball — a great time
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. net — in sport
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. band — a music group
  8. bear — the animal
  9. bank — of a river
  10. ball — a dance
  11. bank — for money
  12. chair — a professorship
  13. band — a ring
  14. net — for catching
  15. bank — for money
  16. mine — for digging
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. chair — a leader
  20. bear — the animal
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. net — after costs
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. chair — to sit on

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