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: leaves · rule · press · pitcher · last · band · chip · ball

  1. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. rule — government
  3. ball — a dance
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. chip — for betting
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. last — finally
  9. last — to go on
  10. press — a publisher
  11. press — newspapers
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. press — to push
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. chip — to eat
  16. rule — a law
  17. ball — a great time
  18. band — a ring
  19. band — a rubber band
  20. last — final
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. pitcher — a jug

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