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: rash · cell · cabinet · mate · pop · band · jam · net

  1. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  2. He was locked up in a ________________.
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  23. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — after costs
  2. cell — in a prison
  3. band — a ring
  4. pop — music
  5. mate — to breed
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. mate — a partner
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. jam — in traffic
  10. rash — a series
  11. pop — to visit
  12. band — a music group
  13. cell — a phone
  14. net — for catching
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. net — in sport
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. cell — in biology
  19. mate — a friend
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. rash — hasty
  22. jam — a tight spot
  23. jam — to spread on bread
  24. pop — soda

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