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. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  20. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. bat — for baseball
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. board — a committee
  6. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  7. charge — electricity
  8. bat — in an idiom
  9. band — a ring
  10. object — an aim
  11. squash — the sport
  12. object — a thing
  13. charge — in control
  14. kid — to tease
  15. board — to get on
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. squash — to crush
  18. rule — a law
  19. bat — the animal
  20. kid — child
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. rule — government
  23. charge — a price
  24. object — to protest

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