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: pound · dip · bear · nail · game · band · cabinet · mate

  1. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  2. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  20. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a ring
  2. game — wild animals
  3. mate — a partner
  4. bear — the animal
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. mate — to breed
  7. game — a match
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. band — a music group
  11. bear — the animal
  12. mate — a friend
  13. pound — a weight
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. dip — to sink
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. pound — to hit hard
  20. pound — for dogs
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. nail — for a hammer

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