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 116 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: staff · chair · club · coach · spell · band · shower · pass

  1. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  2. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  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. band — a rubber band
  2. spell — letters
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. chair — to sit on
  5. band — a music group
  6. staff — a stick
  7. staff — employees
  8. club — for golf
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. shower — to wash
  11. club — for dancing
  12. pass — a permit
  13. spell — magic
  14. band — a ring
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. chair — a leader
  17. staff — employees
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. shower — a meteor shower
  20. club — a group
  21. spell — a short time
  22. shower — rain
  23. chair — a professorship
  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