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: ball · land · band · pop · rash · leaves · coach · wave

  1. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. pop — to visit
  3. band — a music group
  4. land — ground
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. band — a ring
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. pop — soda
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. land — to come down
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. pop — music
  14. ball — a great time
  15. rash — hasty
  16. land — a country
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. rash — a series
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. ball — a dance
  24. coach — a trainer

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