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: coach · mouse · bound · can · hand · band · scale · fork

  1. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. can — to be able to
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. band — a ring
  6. fork — in a road
  7. bound — obliged
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. hand — help
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. band — a music group
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. hand — in cards
  14. scale — size or range
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. bound — certain
  18. can — a tin
  19. bound — tied together
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. can — a tin
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. scale — in music

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