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: pitcher · club · bound · kid · rash · chip · band · last

  1. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. bound — obliged
  3. band — a ring
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. kid — child
  6. chip — for betting
  7. rash — a series
  8. club — for dancing
  9. last — to go on
  10. bound — certain
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. kid — to tease
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. chip — to eat
  16. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  17. last — finally
  18. band — a music group
  19. bound — tied together
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. rash — hasty
  22. club — for golf
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. last — final

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