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: band · cabinet · bound · cold · rock · fine · wound · wax

  1. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  8. The water is too ________________.
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. wound — an injury
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. bound — tied together
  5. fine — high quality
  6. wound — an injury
  7. cold — the Cold War
  8. cold — not warm
  9. band — a music group
  10. cold — an illness
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. fine — all right
  14. bound — obliged
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. bound — certain
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. rock — music
  19. band — a ring
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. wax — to grow
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. rock — a stone
  24. cabinet — ministers

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