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: degree · bound · band · toast · nail · bass · stick · race

  1. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  4. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  11. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  20. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  21. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. degree — an amount
  4. toast — bread
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. band — a music group
  9. bass — low music
  10. toast — the most admired
  11. degree — temperature
  12. bound — tied together
  13. race — humankind
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. bound — certain
  17. degree — from a university
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. band — a ring
  20. race — the arms race
  21. toast — a drink to someone
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. race — a contest
  24. bass — the fish

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