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: cold · staff · rock · spell · can · swing · band · leaves

  1. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  2. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  19. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  20. The water is too ________________.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. cold — the Cold War
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. rock — a stone
  7. staff — employees
  8. can — a tin
  9. staff — employees
  10. staff — a stick
  11. can — to be able to
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. rock — music
  14. swing — to play on
  15. swing — in golf
  16. spell — a short time
  17. can — a tin
  18. swing — music
  19. band — a rubber band
  20. cold — not warm
  21. spell — letters
  22. cold — an illness
  23. band — a ring
  24. spell — magic

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