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. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. He was locked up in a ________________.
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. firm — a company
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. band — a ring
  5. club — for golf
  6. charge — electricity
  7. club — a group
  8. charge — in control
  9. press — to push
  10. cell — in biology
  11. press — newspapers
  12. firm — decided
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. band — a music group
  15. mine — for digging
  16. press — a publisher
  17. ball — a dance
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. charge — a price
  20. cell — a phone
  21. club — for dancing
  22. cell — in a prison
  23. firm — steady
  24. mine — an explosive

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