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: root · cell · bear · rash · band · rest · drill · cap

  1. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  2. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. He was locked up in a ________________.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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 rubber band
  3. cap — a hat
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. cap — of ice
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. cell — in a prison
  8. rash — a series
  9. rest — a break
  10. bear — the animal
  11. rest — what's left
  12. root — of a plant
  13. root — the cause
  14. cell — in biology
  15. bear — the animal
  16. cap — a lid
  17. cell — a phone
  18. drill — army training
  19. drill — a practice
  20. root — of a word
  21. drill — the tool
  22. rash — hasty
  23. rest — what's left
  24. band — a ring

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