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: game · stand · kid · craft · fine · nail · band · root

  1. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. band — a ring
  3. craft — boats
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. band — a music group
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. kid — to tease
  9. stand — to bear
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. game — a match
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. fine — all right
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. root — of a plant
  17. root — the cause
  18. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  19. game — wild animals
  20. root — of a word
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. fine — high quality
  23. craft — a skill
  24. kid — child

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