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. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. He was locked up in a ________________.
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. press — to push
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. press — newspapers
  6. deal — to handle
  7. court — for sport
  8. band — a music group
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. drill — a practice
  11. cell — in biology
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. band — a ring
  14. court — of a king
  15. pitch — completely
  16. cell — a phone
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. cell — in a prison
  19. drill — army training
  20. drill — the tool
  21. press — a publisher
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. court — of law
  24. deal — a big deal

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