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: cell · bay · fan · cap · present · band · game · mate

  1. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  2. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. He was locked up in a ________________.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in biology
  2. cap — a hat
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. cap — of ice
  5. mate — a friend
  6. game — wild animals
  7. present — the time now
  8. band — a music group
  9. band — a ring
  10. mate — a partner
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. cell — a phone
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. cap — a lid
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. cell — in a prison
  17. game — a match
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. present — a gift
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. present — there
  24. mate — to breed

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