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 120 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: fan · deal · last · track · kid · hand · band · staff

  1. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  21. False peace will not ________________.
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  24. At ________________, we arrived at the village.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — help
  2. track — a song
  3. last — final
  4. track — a path
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. staff — employees
  8. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  9. deal — to handle
  10. staff — a stick
  11. track — to keep track
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. hand — in cards
  17. band — a music group
  18. staff — employees
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. kid — child
  21. last — to go on
  22. band — a ring
  23. kid — to tease
  24. last — finally

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