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: wave · band · foot · cap · ruler · file · bore · rash

  1. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. cap — a hat
  3. cap — of ice
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. bore — to drill
  7. file — a tool
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. file — a document
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. cap — a lid
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. file — a line of people
  15. foot — a measure
  16. band — a ring
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. band — a rubber band
  20. rash — hasty
  21. band — a music group
  22. rash — a series
  23. bore — to tire
  24. ruler — for measuring

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