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: pound · stand · mate · wave · band · game · rule · patient

  1. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. mate — a friend
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. game — wild animals
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. mate — to breed
  10. mate — a partner
  11. rule — a law
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. pound — a weight
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. rule — government
  17. pound — for dogs
  18. band — a ring
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. game — a match
  22. stand — to bear
  23. band — a music group
  24. stand — on your feet

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