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. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. vault — a safe
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. scale — in music
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. sharp — clever
  8. snap — to click
  9. band — a ring
  10. perch — the fish
  11. cue — a signal
  12. press — a publisher
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. press — to push
  16. press — newspapers
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. scale — size or range
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. cue — a hint
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. cue — for pool
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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