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: mug · deal · fall · swing · cold · wound · toast · band

  1. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  3. The water is too ________________.
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  6. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  7. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  21. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  24. David sat on the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. toast — the most admired
  3. cold — not warm
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. cold — the Cold War
  6. cold — an illness
  7. wound — an injury
  8. mug — a face
  9. mug — to rob
  10. toast — bread
  11. band — a music group
  12. deal — to handle
  13. toast — a drink to someone
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. swing — in golf
  16. band — a ring
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. wound — past of 'wind'
  19. mug — a cup
  20. wound — an injury
  21. swing — music
  22. fall — to drop
  23. fall — to drop
  24. swing — to play on

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