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 116 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: band · cell · scale · bowl · fine · bound · track · wave

  1. He was locked up in a ________________.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in a prison
  2. bound — obliged
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. bound — certain
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. fine — all right
  8. track — to keep track
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. scale — in music
  11. band — a music group
  12. track — a song
  13. band — a ring
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. fine — high quality
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. cell — in biology
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. cell — a phone
  21. scale — size or range
  22. bound — tied together
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. track — a path

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