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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: stick · band · dip · bass · rush · wound

  1. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. bass — the fish
  6. band — a ring
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. band — a music group
  10. wound — an injury
  11. bass — low music
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. rush — hurry
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. wound — an injury
  18. dip — to sink

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