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: nail · mark · band · game · mouse · wind · hand · bay

  1. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. game — a match
  3. hand — in cards
  4. band — a ring
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. game — wild animals
  7. wind — moving air
  8. hand — help
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. wind — to turn a key
  13. mark — a grade
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. wind — moving air
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. band — a music group
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. mark — a trace

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