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: arm · mate · stock · band · leaves · vault · kid · cell

  1. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  12. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  13. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. He was locked up in a ________________.
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  24. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. cell — in biology
  6. vault — a safe
  7. band — a ring
  8. mate — a partner
  9. stock — shares
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. kid — to tease
  12. kid — child
  13. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. stock — goods
  18. cell — in a prison
  19. band — a music group
  20. mate — a friend
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. mate — to breed
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. cell — a phone

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