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: cap · band · foot · wave · date · jam · hand · chip

  1. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  9. Have you settled on a ________________?
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  22. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — help
  2. cap — a lid
  3. foot — a measure
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. date — the fruit
  7. hand — in cards
  8. jam — to spread on bread
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. cap — a hat
  11. jam — in traffic
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. jam — a tight spot
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. chip — for betting
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. band — a music group
  18. cap — of ice
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. chip — to eat
  21. foot — part of the body
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. hand — part of the body
  24. band — a ring

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