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: foot · cap · charge · snap · perch · lash · band · march

  1. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  2. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  12. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  13. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  24. I have a corn on my right ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. band — a ring
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. charge — a price
  6. cap — a hat
  7. charge — in control
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. snap — to click
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. foot — a measure
  12. march — the month
  13. march — music
  14. charge — electricity
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. cap — a lid
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. snap — to speak sharply
  19. perch — the fish
  20. cap — of ice
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. march — the month
  24. foot — part of the body

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