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's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  21. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. mate — a friend
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. ball — a great time
  6. degree — from a university
  7. net — in sport
  8. cue — a signal
  9. ball — a dance
  10. degree — an amount
  11. net — for catching
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. mate — a partner
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. cue — for pool
  16. net — after costs
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. degree — temperature
  21. band — a ring
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. cue — a hint
  24. mate — to breed

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