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 120 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: bowl · prune · band · mouse · pitcher · patient · rash · spell

  1. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. spell — a short time
  8. band — a music group
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. rash — hasty
  12. spell — letters
  13. spell — magic
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. prune — to trim
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. rash — a series
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. band — a ring
  24. prune — to trim

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