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 116 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: bass · cell · fork · band · wind · bay · squash · rest

  1. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  2. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. He was locked up in a ________________.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  23. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. band — a ring
  3. rest — a break
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. squash — to crush
  6. band — a music group
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. cell — a phone
  9. fork — in a road
  10. bass — low music
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. rest — what's left
  14. cell — in a prison
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. squash — the sport
  17. wind — to turn a key
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. band — a rubber band
  20. bass — the fish
  21. rest — what's left
  22. cell — in biology
  23. wind — moving air
  24. bass — the instrument

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