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 still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. False peace will not ________________.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a ring
  2. bass — the fish
  3. last — finally
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. pit — in a race
  6. mark — a trace
  7. mark — a grade
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. squash — to crush
  10. last — to go on
  11. lie — to recline
  12. last — final
  13. squash — the sport
  14. band — a music group
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. pit — a hole
  21. bass — low music
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. squash — the vegetable

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