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: spell · patient · band · fine · season · chip · march · rock

  1. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a ring
  2. chip — for betting
  3. season — of the year
  4. march — music
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. march — the month
  8. rock — a stone
  9. march — the month
  10. band — a music group
  11. season — in sport
  12. fine — all right
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. spell — letters
  16. spell — magic
  17. spell — a short time
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. chip — to eat
  21. fine — high quality
  22. rock — music
  23. band — a rubber band
  24. fine — a penalty

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