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: patient · spell · rest · lie · foot · band · file · rock

  1. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  24. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. band — a music group
  4. rock — a stone
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. rest — a break
  7. spell — a short time
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. band — a ring
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. lie — to recline
  15. file — a line of people
  16. rock — music
  17. spell — magic
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. file — a document
  20. spell — letters
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. rest — what's left
  23. foot — a measure
  24. file — a tool

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