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: band · rash · press · spring · object · dip · fan · mug

  1. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  2. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. mug — a face
  3. press — newspapers
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. rash — hasty
  7. band — a music group
  8. press — to push
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. object — a thing
  11. dip — to sink
  12. rash — a series
  13. object — to protest
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. band — a ring
  16. object — an aim
  17. mug — a cup
  18. mug — to rob
  19. spring — the season
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. spring — of water
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. press — a publisher
  24. spring — a coil

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