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: shower · face · rock · object · roll · calf · band · swing

  1. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. We're on a ________________ here.
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  12. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  19. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a ring
  2. swing — music
  3. face — to confront
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. object — to protest
  6. roll — on a roll
  7. object — a thing
  8. swing — to play on
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. roll — a list
  12. roll — a cake
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. face — part of the head
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. object — an aim
  17. rock — music
  18. shower — rain
  19. shower — to wash
  20. rock — a stone
  21. band — a music group
  22. shower — a meteor shower
  23. swing — in golf
  24. face — to point toward

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