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 120 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: mine · band · cue · ground · arm · racket · mate · snap

  1. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. My father caught me by the ________________.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. She's sitting on a gold ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. band — a ring
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. mate — a friend
  7. ground — a position
  8. ground — the earth
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. snap — to click
  14. band — a music group
  15. cue — a signal
  16. cue — a hint
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. cue — for pool
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. mate — to breed
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. ground — crushed
  23. mate — a partner
  24. mine — for digging

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