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: band · arm · cap · rash · season · deal · wave · fine

  1. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. fine — high quality
  8. season — in sport
  9. cap — of ice
  10. cap — a lid
  11. fine — all right
  12. band — a music group
  13. band — a ring
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. deal — to handle
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. cap — a hat
  18. rash — hasty
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. rash — a series
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. season — of the year

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