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: kid · object · pitch · game · band · rock · wave · field

  1. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  2. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. band — a ring
  3. kid — child
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. kid — to tease
  6. object — to protest
  7. game — a match
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. field — farmland
  10. rock — music
  11. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. field — a subject
  14. object — a thing
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. rock — a stone
  18. pitch — completely
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. game — wild animals
  21. object — an aim
  22. field — for sport
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. wave — with your hand

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