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: rule · band · fan · cell · season · cue · stand · pound

  1. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  19. He was locked up in a ________________.
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — a phone
  2. season — in sport
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. stand — to bear
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. cue — for pool
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. rule — a law
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. cell — in biology
  14. rule — government
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. cue — a hint
  17. pound — to hit hard
  18. band — a music group
  19. cell — in a prison
  20. season — of the year
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. band — a ring
  23. cue — a signal
  24. pound — a weight

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